© Jiri Krenek for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.
When Toto Wolff was asked if he hopes to follow Max Verstappen’s career trajectory with Kimi Antonelli, he said he is more inspired by “the project” that is “more similar to Hamilton’s career”.
18-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli will make his Formula 1 debut in 2025 with Mercedes, where he will replace Lewis Hamilton.
When Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff was asked if he hopes to follow Max Verstappen’s career trajectory with Antonelli, the Austrian said he is more inspired by Hamilton’s “success story”.
“I think the project that inspired me more is the one that is more similar to Hamilton’s career,” Wolff told Autosprint.
“[Hamilton’s] growth in the junior categories and his impact in Formula 1 came at a time when you could test a lot more than Kimi has been able to do now.
“Ron [Dennis, former McLaren team boss] at the time said Lewis needed to take it easy to get used to F1, also because [Fernando] Alonso was at McLaren.
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“However, that never happened, Lewis was immediately competitive and a success. With the current preparation, Kimi can jump into our car and be competitive.
“However, F1 now is a different animal than it was at the time of Hamilton’s debut. There are a lot more dimensions and facets compared to the past.
“There is more pressure and social media, so I think it is important to keep everything moving in the right direction, keep the right priorities and avoid what is not essential.
“The goal is to create a new success story as happened with Hamilton,” he concluded.
