Toto Wolff has suggested that Mercedes gave 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Lewis Hamilton a short contract because they already had one eye on Andrea ꦍKimi Antonelli.

Antonelli, 17, has been tipped to replace Hamilton at Mercedes in 2025 when the seven-time F1 champion goes to Ferrari.

But thꦜe decision to hand Hamilton a two-year contract, which he signed last year, rather than a longer deal was to avoid losing Antonelli.

Mercedes team principal Wolff recalled a tale from the past when a young Max Verstappen slipped through his fingers, because he was already committed contractually to Hamilto🔯n and Nico Rosberg.

“There was a situationꦯ many years ago where we had the opportunity to let Max drive,༺” Wolff is quoted by .

“And that wasn't possible back then because we sim✅ply didn't have a cockpit.

“Rosberg and Hamilton were tied to us long-term, and Red Bull naturally seized 𒉰the opportunity.

“They gave hi🍷m a contract with Toro Rosso, with the possibility of drivin🅺g for Red Bull the following year.

“We then lost the young dr🌃iver, and you can see how successful he has become.

"And precisely becaus♍e we have a junior on the horizon who is really driving at a very high level, I simply wanted to keep this option open.

"That does not mean that we will actually put Antonelli in the car next yea✃r,

"He is 17 year𒉰s old, and that might be a bit ear🧸ly.

“But with a view to the next five or ♑🧸ten years, I just wanted to have this option."

Antonelli will debut in Formula 2 this season but is being mentioned alongside the likes of Fernando Alonsꦡo as a serious target for Mercedes to replace Hamilton with.

Hamilton penned terms with Mercedes ꩲlast s😼ummer after a long-running saga which saw him heavily linked to Ferrari.

This winter, h𒐪e activated a get-out clau▨se which allows him to go to Ferrari in 2025.

This season, which beginsꩲ this weekend in B♏ahrain, will be Hamilton’s last with Mercedes.