The most lucrative space on the Formula 1 grid that is definitely open for 2025 is at Mercedes after Lewis Hamilton decided to join Ferrari next season.
Italian youngster Andrea Kimi Antonelli appears to be the driver that team principal Toto Wolff is lining up as long as his maiden Formula 2 campaign goes well.
However, speaking on The Race Members Club Podcast, journalist Scott Mitchell-Malm has shared what he believes is the team’s back-up in case the 17-year-old isn’t ready.
There’s already a lot of pressure on Antonelli’s shoulders considering less than 12 months ago he was racing in FRECA.
The teenager’s rise through the ranks is very similar to Max Verstappen’s and the Dutchman was introduced to F1 at such a young age by Toro Rosso that it forced the sport to implement a rule change preventing under-18s from being promoted into a Formula 1 car.
Antonelli is about to take part in his first private test in an F1 car and preparations for his future will continue to build as the season goes on.
However, Mercedes know they need to prepare for every eventuality and may buy Alex Albon out of his Williams contract if Antonelli doesn’t look ready to go in 2025 or even 2006.
The £45k-a-week driver hasn’t had a spectacular start to this season but is undoubtedly very talented.
MORE F1 STORIES
READ MORE: Williams driver Alex Albon’s life outside F1 from net worth, girlfriend to parents
Mercedes could buy Alex Albon out of his Williams contract if Kimi Antonelli isn’t ready
Alex Albon is contracted to Williams until the end of 2025 and although his teammate Logan Sargeant’s F1 future is in jeopardy, the Thai driver is in a much stronger position.
Williams have been on the back foot all season after ramping up their car’s development over the winter and being short on spare parts as a result.
Albon is yet to score a point this season but finished 11th in Australia and will back himself over both Haas drivers in a straight fight once Williams get their car right.
However, if Mercedes could come in with an offer to buy out his contract, Albon will have a difficult decision to make knowing that the long-term plan is to put Antonelli in the car.
The Italian making his F1 debut at Williams – replacing either Albon or Sargeant – would give Wolff a much better idea of his credentials at this level.
But, it might create a much more difficult conundrum in the future, although that’s a hurdle that they can deal with in the future.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Mercedes AMG F1 Team from team principal to lineage
Mercedes still keen to put Kimi Antonelli in 2025 car
Talking about the plans within the Silver Arrows team, Mitchell-Malm said: “There’s no point in signing a [Carlos] Sainz, or even an Esteban Ocon or Alex Albon on a one-year deal.
“It doesn’t suit them, Merc doesn’t really get anything out of them, so I think they may as well just wait [for Kimi Antonelli].
“If it emerges over this year that Antonelli is definitely, definitely not worth being in a Mercedes F1 car in the next two seasons, that will only become apparent over the fullness of time, then Mercedes needs to change tact quite significantly anyway.
“Yes, by then it might be too late to get a Sainz, but Mercedes can only find that out by letting the F2 season play out.
“Plus, with Albon being under contract at Williams, if all of a sudden we got to September and Mercedes was like, ‘Oh actually, Antonelli’s not going to be ready for F1 next season and even 2026 might be a push, so maybe we try and get him in a Williams for the next couple of years.’
“Then they can just go to [James] Vowles and Williams and say, how much is it going to cost us to get Albon?
“I don’t think anyone else is really going to buy Albon out of that Williams contract.
“So, I think he might end up being just a pretty good backup option just sitting there anyway.”
Kimi Antonelli still has plenty to prove before earning Mercedes 2025 seat – opinion
On paper, Kimi Antonelli hasn’t done enough in Formula 2 to look like a shoo-in for an F1 seat next year.
However, before Mercedes prepare the documents to buy Albon out of his current contract, it’s important to take a closer look at his results.
Firstly, Mercedes will pay much closer attention to the data surrounding his tests in Formula 1 cars rather than what he’s doing in a PREMA team who are underperforming much more than expected.
Antonelli hasn’t just matched Oliver Bearman but beaten him over multiple race weekends, which considering how well the Brit did during his Ferrari cameo shows how good the 17-year-old is.
He’s not perfect yet, he made a mistake in Australia that cost him plenty of points but given how quickly he’s having to learn how to drive a completely new car against much more experienced drivers, he deserves an awful lot of credit.
Related Topics
Alex AlbonAndrea Kimi AntonelliMercedesToto Wolff
