P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has admitted that the team is in a “rebuild phase” that is influencing its decision on
Hamilton’s decision to activate an exit clause in his Mercedes contract and move to Ferrari has caught everyone by surprise, prompting Mercedes to find a replacement for next season. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has indicated interest in potentially luring Max Verstappen from Red Bull if he decides to leave. Despite Red Bull’s dominance, Mercedes has struggled with correlation issues, resulting in their lowest points tally since 2011. There are speculations that young driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli might be promoted to the works team from Formula 2 due to Mercedes’ ongoing challenges. However, Carlos Sainz is rumored to be the top candidate to partner George Russell following Hamilton’s arrival. Wolff emphasized that Mercedes is in a rebuilding phase and is considering the option of either nurturing a young driver with less pressure or bringing in an experienced driver to improve performance. Antonelli is scheduled to have his first F1 test at the Red Bull Ring in Austria with Mercedes’ W12, aiming to provide him with a taste of competitive machinery and assess his potential for a future F1 seat. Despite Antonelli’s modest performance in F2, Wolff highlighted his teammate Oliver Bearman’s promising outing as a substitute for Sainz, showcasing the talent within Mercedes’ young driver program.
