Why has Toto Wolff not yet decided on a driver for the empty seat in Mercedes? After Lewis Hamilton signed with Ferrari, many are wondering who will fill the 7x champion seat. So far, Mercedes has not been in a hurry to decide which driver to have driving for them in 2025. Although Toto Wolff has all his hopes of bringing in Max Verstappen, that might not happen as the defending champion is comfortable in his car. Now the question stands: if not Verstappen, then who?

It’s been a long time since Mercedes pinned its hopes on junior driver Kimi Antonelli. He has performed extremely well in F2 and will be in the Mercedes seat soon. It’s not sure if he will be brought in for 2025, but Toto Wolff is in talks with him. Antonelli is still just 17, and Wolff will have to wait for him to turn 18 before he can get his super license. That requirement will be fulfilled as Antonelli’s birthday is around the corner on August 25. So does that mean he will be in a Mercedes in 2025?

Is Kimi Antonelli Mercedes’ choice for 2025?

At the Austrian Grand Prix weekend, the Mercedes situation took an interesting turn as Antonelli was spotted at the Mercedes hospitality suite. The young driver was seen walking into the suite with Toto Wolff and Gwen Lagrue, who is the head of the driver program at Mercedes. Many now believe that the three were discussing the Italian driver’s future within the team.

Ever since 2021, Mercedes has struggled to find the pace required to beat their eternal rival, Red Bull. If Kimi Antonelli is brought into Mercedes, there is a chance that he doesn’t perform as expected considering the situation of the car. Since the start of the season, Mercedes has faced many issues with the W15, with it only being competitive since the Canadian Grand Prix.

While Antonelli has a future with Mercedes, there have been talks around the paddock that Wolff would like him to start with Williams to learn the ropes. Once Antonelli builds confidence in an F1 car, Mercedes will work towards helping him win the world championship. However, that might be a while from now, as he has yet to get into an F1 car for the first time.

Although there is no news from Mercedes about Antonelli joining the team next year, there has been a lot of noise about them wanting to hire Verstappen. So let’s take a look at what the Mercedes CEO had to say about the Red Bull driver.

Mercedes CEO joins Toto Wolff in wanting to sign Max Verstappen

Now that Mercedes has lost their 7x world champion, they have set their eyes on Max Verstappen. A champion for another seems like a good game for Mercedes to play; however, it will not be that easy. Currently, Verstappen only has one requirement from a team and that is to have the fastest car on the grid. As of now, the RB20 is not the fastest, as it’s being matched by McLaren’s single-seater.

Either way, after Toto Wolff’s public pursuit of the Red Bull champion, the manufacturer’s CEO, Ola Källenius, joined in on the hunt. While talking to Racingnews365, Kallenius said, “The best driver wants to have the best car. And it’s our job to put together the best package. The cards will be reshuffled in 2026. That’s also an opportunity, so who knows? I think Max would look good in silver too, right?”

Whether Verstappen will move to Mercedes is still a mystery, as there is still time for the season to finish. Max Verstappen has a contract with Red Bull till 2028 but that can be nullified if Helmut Marko leaves the team. Now it’s all up to Verstappen as to what he wants to do after this season. The situation at Red Bull has reportedly settled down with a truce between Horner and the Verstappens, but will it be enough to keep the defending champion?

Let us know what you think in the comments below.