Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff says he decided Andrea Kimi Antonelli would be 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Lewis Hamilton’s replacement “five minutes” afte👍r the seven-time world champion told him he was joining Ferrar𒅌i.

18-year-old Antonelli was confirmed as168澳洲5最新开奖结果: George Russell’s new teammate from 2025 by Mercedes on Saturday. The Italian will ta🌳ke the seat vacated by Hamilton, who is joining Ferrari.

Hamilton’s🌼 sensational switch to Ferrari was announced in February and Wolff has claimed he “immediately” knew he wanted Mercedes protege Antonelli to be the 39-year-old Briton’s successor.

“I made up my mind five minutes after Lewis Hamilto♔n told me he was going to Ferrari,” Wolff said.

“Obviously we were discussing with other options, and obviously the Max idea couldn’t be discounted completely looking at what happe💎ned at Red Bull, but instinctively that is the line-up with these two that I a👍lways wanted.

“Bearing in mind꧂ the fast tracking that we did with Kimi and everything that we did there too, but it was immediately what I wanted to do.”

Mercedes did not reveal details about the length of Antonelli’s contract, while Russell’s existi𒈔ng deal is due to expire at the end of next season.

But Wolff🅺𝄹 stressed the pair are the “future” of Mercedes.

“We have contracts with George and Kimi that go much longerꦍ that areಞ very complicated in terms of options etcetera,” he explained.

“This i𒈔s a pressure cooker, Mercedes always has been a pressure cooker, but this is where we stand as a team today, we want to go with these 𝔉two.

“Like we have done in the past, we have always had very short contracts. Even with Lewis the last time it came around it was one p💫lus one. This is in a way how the team operated.

“But I think what’s most important is to see how George and Kimi ♚settle in, and I see no reason at that stage not giving them𓆉 the faith and the trust of going forward.

“What thaꦬt means for the terms is something that we will discuss between ourselves, but we wouldn’t have gone for the line-up with these two if we wouldn’t believe 100 percent that they are the best choice for Mercedes.”