Lewis Hamilton gives his take on Kimi Antonelli possibly replacing him at Mercedes for 2025

Lewis Hamilton has finally addressed the possibility of Kimi Antonelli becoming his successor at Mercedes next season. During a recent press conference ahead of the Italian Grand Prix, the seven-time world champion stated that the decision belongs to Mercedes, and "time will tell" who the Silver Arrows select going forward.

Paddock rumors suggest that Kimi Antonelli could be a potential teammate for George Russell at Mercedes in 2025. While there is no official confirmation of this from either party, multiple reports indicate that Toto Wolff's team is leaning in this direction.

Amid this, the 39-year-old was asked about Antonelli's prospects at Mercedes as his successor. Here's what he said in response:

"I said a long time ago that I think that's who [Mercedes] should choose moving forward. Time will tell."

Since Hamilton's decision to leave Brackley was announced, Toto Wolff has expressed interest in Max Verstappen joining Mercedes. However, Verstappen's long-term contract with Red Bull hindered the move.

With Verstappen out of the equation and Carlos Sainz's move to Williams, Kimi Antonelli emerged as a potential candidate for the Mercedes seat. Antonelli has been associated with Mercedes since he was 11 years old, and as things stand, he is set to drive Hamilton's W-15 at Monza during the Italian Grand Prix's FP1 session on Friday.

After a 12-year tenure at Brackley, during which he secured six of his seven Formula 1 championships, Hamilton is set to join Ferrari on a multi-year deal valued at $446 million. He will replace Williams-bound Carlos Sainz.

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Toto Wolff's comments on Lewis Hamilton's successor, Kimi Antonelli's prospects

Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes has a seat fitting in Lewis Hamilton's car (Image via Getty Images)

Toto Wolff has recently opened up about Kimi Antonelli's prospects at Mercedes. In a recent interview with BBC Sport, he said that he is looking forward to Antonelli's benefits at the Silver Arrows.

"Without pre-empting too much about next year's drivers, in a way, when such talent comes up, it's not right either to park someone, or place someone with another team," Wolff said. "Let's see what happens, but in a way I think we took the right decision for the benefit of Lewis, the team's benefit, Kimi. It feels right."

When asked if Antonelli is ready to take up the F1 challenge, Wolff said,

"I think Kimi is prepared. We are doing the utmost to give him testing days. We are not sitting with him in the car. He needs to do it. He has the talent, the intelligence, the ability, all of it to do it well. And we need to provide an environment, if he was in the car, where he can learn and develop."

The Italian driver is currently racing in F2 with Prema Racing. At the age of 18, Antonelli's exceptional talent allowed him to skip Formula 3 and transition directly from the Formula Regional European Championship to Formula 2.