$50M former Mercedes driver backs Toto Wolff's call to sign Kimi Antonelli as Lewis Hamilton's replacement

Former Mercedes driver and F1 champion Nico Rosberg has backed Toto Wolff's call to sign Kimi Antonelli as Lewis Hamilton's replacement for 2025. The young Italian would be making his F1 debut this season, and his performances are something that are going to attract a lot of attention.

Promoting a teenager to a race-winning team even before he's proven himself in an F1 car was a tricky decision that Toto Wolff ultimately made. It was a decision that Mercedes was forced into when Lewis Hamilton announced his shock exit from the team as he decided it was time to move to Ferrari for a new challenge.

By the time Lewis Hamilton announced that he was leaving for Ferrari, all the top drivers in F1, like Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris, had already signed their extensions with their respective teams, and hence Toto Wolff didn't even get the opportunity to reach out to them. On the other hand, Kimi Antonelli was due to make his F2 debut that season with hopes of trying to impress in his rookie season.

The season was decent enough even though the lack of competent machinery hurt the driver in terms of final results. With a couple of wins under the bag, Antonelli secured his seat in F1 in a decision by Toto Wolff that would be under the spotlight throughout 2025. Talking to Gazzetta della Sport, Nico Rosberg, who has a net worth of $50m (as per Celebrity Net Worth), acknowledged that the decision from Wolff was bold but the right one considering the talent at play.

"I know Kimi very well, he was racing in my karting academy in 2019, and I had already seen at that age what an impressive talent he was. It's a bold move on Toto's part, but you can't ignore the potential this kid has."

He added,

"He will certainly make mistakes in 2025, but I know Mercedes will back him up well, but he has a bright future ahead of him and I am excited to see how he adapts to F1."

Rosberg hopes Kimi Antonelli gets the support from Mercedes

The 2025 F1 season is unique because of the number of drivers competing in their first full seasons. Accentuating how important it is to have the right people around you to guide you at the start of your career, Rosberg hoped that Kimi Antonelli and other rookies got the right support at the start of their careers as he said,

"The early seasons are full of challenges, and having someone experienced to guide you can make a real difference. I hope the rookies coming in this year have solid support systems around them, because F1 can be ruthless and, after a few bad performances, things can change quickly for them."

Kimi Antonelli would be making his F1 debut with Mercedes this season as just a teenager. The young Italian could potentially bag some very impressive results in his rookie season if the car is good enough.