30 January 2024 , 06:00
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Mercedes will no doubt want Lewis Hamilton to race for them forever.
Sadly, that isn't going to happen and Toto Wolff knows that, eventually, he will have to find someone to fill the seven-time world champion's racing shoes. That is going to be no small task - for the Mercedes chief or for the driver who gets the nod.
Hamilton has a contract until the end of 2025 and there is no reason to suggest that this will be his last Formula 1 deal. With the 39-year-old still going strong and many different factors in play, it is too early to pick out any hot favourites to replace him.
But one of the major candidates may well be Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The Italian racing starlet, 17, is the crown jewel of the Mercedes driver academy and has a burgeoning reputation thanks to his excellent performances in the junior categories.
His record in karting and at F4 level has seen him fast-tracked through the system. He will race in Formula 2 this season, skipping Formula 3 altogether, and will be in what is expected to be a quick car with the Prema team alongside hot Ferrari prospect Oliver Bearman.
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That move has only served to increase the hype around the teenager. And, although Mercedes team principal Wolff is keen to keep Antonelli's feet on the ground, he admits that his team has a special talent on its hands.
"We got Kimi under the wings in 2012 and he was a great kid already then," he said. "You could see the character [and] he was strong. We had him in the garage and there was a lot of confidence. In go-karting his track record was immense and then you put him in the junior formulas and he wins every single season in his rookie year.
"But we've got to be careful because there's a lot of hype around him. Putting him into F2 is a big step because those cars are heavier and much more powerful. If we give him his time and don't expect him to be killing it in his first season, I think he can be a really great one in this sport. He's 17 - this is so young."
George Russell has the same length of contract as Hamilton, meaning Mercedes will not have to think about making any drive line-up changes until at least the end of the 2025 season. That gives Antonelli, at the very least, the next two seasons to prove he is worthy of a chance in F1.
And even if there is no space at the team before then, there may be other opportunities. Williams have a strong relationship with Mercedes and gave Russell his debut in the top category before he moved up - if he performs well in F2, Antonelli will no doubt be linked with a promotion to the Grove-based squad possibly as soon as next year.