Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has revealed his determination not to repeat the mistake he made with Max Verstappen when it comes to Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The Austrian admitted that, when Max Verstappen was just a young driver competing in Formula 3, he let him slip away, effectively handing him over to Helmut Marko and Red Bull.
Antonelli is set to debut in Formula 1 in a few months, but the decision to promote the Italian was made suddenly after Lewis Hamilton surprised everyone by announcing his move to Ferrari alongside Charles Leclerc. Speaking on the *Armchair Experts* podcast with Dax Shepard, Toto Wolff shared his shock upon learning of Hamilton’s decision: “We didn’t expect it, and even now it feels strange that in a few months, Lewis will be dressed in red and driving for Ferrari.” – the Mercedes team boss added.
“It will be a bit surreal for us, but we had a 17-year-old in the academy, and I didn’t want to lose him as I did with Max Verstappen in the past when I didn’t have a car for him to race in.”
“On the other hand, I also understand the choice Lewis made because we weren’t successful. Our car wasn’t fast enough, and he had a huge offer on the table.”
Wolff concluded by saying that Hamilton’s voluntary decision to leave the team has nonetheless helped Mercedes’ long-term planning: “I couldn’t make the decision from a personal perspective. We owe him so much, and I didn’t want to make the call, as Mercedes, to let the greatest champion of all time go.”
“Perhaps Lewis felt that Antonelli was gearing up for the big leap and that he was now ready. I knew it would happen sooner or later.”
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