The 2025 Formula 1 grid will have a massive shakeup as many of the drivers are going to switch their current teams. And the biggest move of all will be Lewis Hamilton‘s. The Briton is going to exit a 15-year-long allegiance to Mercedes and travel to Maranello as he has accepted Ferrari’s $100 million deal. Thus, the 39-year-old will leave behind a seat at Mercedes that has no confirmed names written on it yet.

Several sources have claimed that Toto Wolff will fill Lewis Hamilton’s Silver Arrows position with a 17-year-old named Kimi Antonelli. Others have said the Austrian wants to keep his options open to see if Max Verstappen tries to leave Red Bull in favor of the Stuttgart-based outfit. However, former World Champion Damon Hill believes there might be a downside to hiring Antonelli because of his age. But what did the 1996 F1 title holder say to send a warning to Wolff regarding him picking the Italian prodigy as a new recruit?

Damon Hill believes Kimi Antonelli’s “frontal lobe” will cause trouble

Damon Hill spoke on the F1 Nation podcast with Tom Clarkson regarding 17-year-olds making their way into the sport. He said, “When you were 16, Tom, you’ve got no fear. The frontal lobe hasn’t properly wired up so that the rational reasoning part of the brain isn’t fully developed until you’re about 25. The problem we have, then, is what you saw with Max. He was doing whatever he thought he could get away with and everyone was going, “Whoa, mate, you know there’s other people here too.” It’s an issue, I think, to do with maturity.”

Hill has been a witness to the rise and fall of several F1 drivers. The veteran has also seen how Max Verstappen acted during his initial days in the king class of motorsports. According to the Briton, when Max scripted history as one of the youngest debutants in Formula 1, he lacked maturity. He also warned Toto Wolff a similar thing could happen to Kimi Antonelli if Mercedes hires him for their 2025 campaign.

Thus, if Toto Wolff takes Damon Hill’s warning into consideration, Kimi Antonelli is not getting a seat in F1 in 2025. But still, the Silver Arrows can choose any one of the experienced racers who are available currently to become George Russell‘s teammate.

Mercedes can pick Ferrari’s dismissed racer for 2025

In the next F1 season, Carlos Sainz will no longer be seen driving the Ferrari racecar. The Spaniard announced at the beginning of 2024 that he would not continue his duty at the Scuderia after the last race in Abu Dhabi. However, there has been no news regarding his move to any of the other teams. With 3 Grands Prix wins and 22 podium finishes, the Smooth Operator will certainly be a good fit for Mercedes.

Besides Carlos Sainz, Kevin Magnussen of Haas as well as Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon of Alpine do not have any confirmed seats for 2025. Former Silver Arrows Valtteri Bottas is also present in the drivers’ market as of this moment. And then there is Mick Schumacher, son of legendary racer Michael Schumacher, who has been eagerly waiting for a re-entry into F1 after getting the boot from Haas in 2022.

With all these potential recruits hoping for a seat for 2025, Mercedes does not have a shortage of choices. Do you think Toto Wolff will go for an experienced hand by hiring a multiple Grand Prix winner like Carlos Sainz? Or will he settle for the rookie Kimi Antonelli who is yet to even receive his first test in a Formula 1 car? Let us know in the comments below.