Toto Wolff says he wanted to avoid missing out on Mercedes protege 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Andrea Kimi Antonelli like he did with 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Max Verstappen.

168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Lewis Hamilton’s shock decision to leave Mercedes after 12 seasons in order to join Ferrari from 2025 left the Silver Arrows scrambling for a replacement to partner 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:George Russell.

Wolff publicly courted Verstappen amid turmoi꧃l at Red Bull last year but when it was clear he would not be able to poach the Dutchman, Mercedes instead opted to promote teenage protege Antonelli after just 🅠a single season in Formula 2.

Speaking on the , Wolff explained how he ꦯwanted to avoid Antonelli potentially looking elsewhere if Mercedes d💝id not offer him a full-time seat.

Wolff was previously burned when Mercedes tried unsuccessfully to sign Verstappen while he was in Formula 3. Verstappen instea🅰d joined Red Bull and was swiftly placed into a race seat with Toro Rosso for 2015, before being promoted to the senior team four races into the following season.

Hamilton’s exit ultimately pave♛d the way for Antonelli to get a Mercedes drive earlier than originally planned.

"It was a curve ball thrown at us, and it still feels w🅘eird that he's gonna wear Ferrari overalls and drive the red car," Wolff said of Hamilton’s departure from Mercedes.

"It's just a bit surreal. But we had this 17-year-old in the pipeline [Kimi Antonelli]. I didn't want ♓to miss out on him, like I did with Max [Verstappen] back in the day, [when] I didn't have a car [for hi🏅m], so that is all falling into place.

"And I ca🌳n kind of get where he's coming from, because we weren't successful. Our car was not quick enough, certainly he had a mega offer on the table, [and] every Formula 1 driver wants to drive a Ferrari.”

Wolff ‘couldn’t make decision’ to ditch Hamilton

Hamilton, who signed a new two-year deal with Mercedes in the summer of 2023, chose to activ𓄧e a brಌeak clause in his contract in order to make the switch to Ferrari.

By taking his future into his own hands, the seven-time world champion spared Mercedes from having to make a potentially difficult call at the end of 2𓃲025.

Wolff admitted he was “absolutely” relieved that ꦛhe did not have to face the dilemma of deciding when Hamilton exited Mercedes.

"I couldn't m🐟ake the decision from a personal standpoint - we owe him so much,” the Austrian said.

"And I didn't want to do the decision, as Mercedes, le🗹tt🎃ing the greatest champion ever go.

"Maybe he f✱elt that also, that's part of ﷽it, and he knew that Antonelli was in the pipeline. It was something that I almost had in the back of my mind, that that would happen."