Lewis Hamilton’s illustrious career at Mercedes has officially come to an end, marking the close of one of Formula 1’s most successful partnerships. Having been with Mercedes since his early days in the sport, Hamilton’s six world championships made the prospect of his exit nearly unimaginable.

However, as Mercedes faced a decline in performance from 2022 with the introduction of new regulations, Hamilton’s struggles intensified. Despite this, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff never considered dismissing him, even though he had a potential replacement in mind — Kimi Antonelli.

Wolff revealed that he couldn’t bring himself to make the tough decision to let Hamilton go, acknowledging the immense contribution Hamilton had made to the team. “I couldn’t make the decision from a personal standpoint. We owe him so much,” Wolff said. When Hamilton ultimately decided to depart in 2025, Wolff admitted he had expected the move, acknowledging that he had “almost had it in the back of my mind.”

Antonelli’s move to Mercedes appeared to be a matter of time. Wolff explained that, unlike his past hesitations with Max Verstappen, he was determined not to let another talent slip away. “It’s surreal, but we had this 17-year-old in the pipeline,” Wolff shared, referring to Antonelli’s rise through the ranks.

Antonelli, who bypassed F3 to directly compete in F2, had an impressive rookie season, finishing 6th with 113 points, securing his future with Mercedes. However, the pressure will be on as he steps into the formidable shoes of Hamilton and faces inevitable comparisons to Verstappen, both of whom enjoyed remarkable rookie seasons. Antonelli’s challenge now is to prove he can handle the spotlight and continue Mercedes’ legacy in F1.