Toto Wolff explains how Kimi Antonelli can help Mercedes 'beat Lewis Hamilton next year': "Him joining George Russell clearly brings momentum"

Toto Wolff touched upon how Kimi Antonelli can help Mercedes beat Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari in 2025. Antonelli is all set to make his full-time debut next season for the Silver Arrows, while Hamilton is to jump ship to the Prancing Horse at the end of 2024.

Earlier this year, the seven-time world champion signed a multi-year deal with Ferrari, which will see him leave the Brackley-based team after 12 years. Hamilton's decision to leave Mercedes put them in a huge jeopardy and after months of waiting, they finally settled for Antonelli.

As the British driver will turn from friend to foe next season, the Mercedes boss is reluctant to leave him a space. He believes with Antonelli in the wing, his team will be able to tame the Prancing Horse next season.

Speaking about this, the Austrian boss said (via Motorsport),

"As a competitor, when we try to beat him [Hamilton] next year, Kimi joining George clearly brings momentum with it, plus youth and freshness. You can feel the kind of smile that is in your organization with having an 18-year-old in a car.”

Antonelli, the Italian prodigy, rose through the junior racing ranks and impressed the top brass of Mercedes. He is also a Mercedes junior driver and currently competes in F2 alongside Haas' upcoming driver Oliver Bearman.

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Toto Wolff expects Lewis Hamilton to have a seamless switch to Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP celebrates winning a 7th F1 World Drivers Championship with Toto Wolff at the F1 Grand Prix of Turkey - Source: Getty Images

As Lewis Hamilton is set to depart Toto Wolff's team at the end of this season, the latter believes the transition from his team to the Prancing Horse is going to be seamless. He will replace Williams-bound Carlos Sainz and race alongside Charles Leclerc.

Here is what Toto Wolff had to say about Hamilton's transition to Ferrari (via the aforementioned source),

“I think many people say that it’s going to be really difficult. But I think if you say it’s going to be really difficult, then often it’s the opposite. Ferrari is a great team, great people, lots of emotion and passion, and therefore, it’s pressure. But I believe they are going to find a way of working with each other.”

Lewis Hamilton joined the Silver Arrows in 2013 after a fairly successful outing with McLaren where he won his first F1 title in 2008. He replaced the retirement-bound Michael Schumacher and joined Nico Rosberg.

Hamilton claimed six out of his seven F1 titles at Mercedes. He won the titles in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. After his seventh title, it became the most successful team and driver combination in the sport, surprising Michael Schumacher's five titles with Ferrari.