P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Toto Wolff has seemingly admitted defeat in trying to sign Max Verstappen for next year, which has rolled out the red carpet for junior Kimi Antonelli
Toto Wolff indicated that Max Verstappen will remain with Red Bull in 2025, solidifying Kimi Antonelli as George Russell’s future teammate. Wolff had considered Antonelli as a replacement for Lewis Hamilton, who is set to join Ferrari next season. Despite pursuing Verstappen for several months, Wolff ultimately acknowledged that the Dutch driver will not move to Mercedes. As a result, the likely driver line-up for 2025 will consist of Russell and Antonelli, with the latter impressing Mercedes during private testing and his current F2 season. Mercedes believes that Antonelli has the potential to succeed in F1 immediately, even as the team aims for consistent victories in 2025.
