Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has revealed that two sponsors walked away from the team after it decided to replace Lewis Hamilton with Kimi Antonelli for the 2025 Formula 1 season.
The Austrian admitted that some commercial partners questioned the decision to promote the young Italian, despite Mercedes being convinced that he had the potential to become a future world champion. Antonelli has now vindicated that faith by securing the 2026 Drivers’ Championship.
Mercedes’ decision to replace seven-time world champion Hamilton with an inexperienced teenager was one of the biggest talking points ahead of the 2025 season. However, Wolff has now disclosed that the controversy extended beyond the paddock, with the decision reportedly costing the team two sponsorship partnerships.
Speaking to British broadcaster Sky following Antonelli’s championship triumph in Mexico, Wolff revealed the reaction from two commercial partners who were unconvinced by the youngster’s credentials.
“We had two sponsors who left us because of it. They asked me: ‘Kimi Antonelli, who is this kid supposed to be?'” Wolff revealed.
The Mercedes boss did not identify the companies involved or disclose the financial value of the sponsorship agreements.
Mercedes risked losing sponsors to back Antonelli
Hamilton had already announced his intention to leave Mercedes and join Ferrari before the start of the 2024 season, creating one of the biggest vacancies on the Formula 1 grid.
Initially, Max Verstappen was widely considered a potential successor to Hamilton, given his status as one of the sport’s leading drivers. However, Wolff had already identified Antonelli as the preferred candidate.
The Austrian explained that his decision was effectively made the moment Hamilton confirmed his departure.
“When Lewis stood at my door that morning, I already knew. The moment he confirmed he was going to Ferrari, I knew Kimi would be in the car,” Wolff explained.
It was a considerable gamble. Antonelli had demonstrated considerable potential in junior categories, but placing a teenager directly into one of Formula 1’s most demanding environments meant accepting that mistakes and difficult weekends were inevitable.
Mercedes nevertheless remained convinced that the Italian represented its long-term future.
Mercedes leadership never questioned the decision
Wolff also revealed that his confidence in Antonelli was not shared by everyone within the organisation initially.
He immediately informed his deputy, Bradley Lord, and technical director James Allison about his decision.
“I told them, ‘Kimi’s in the car.’ They just said, ‘What are you talking about?’ But we had the data. We didn’t need any further confirmation. Kimi had already proven it through his successes in Formula 4 and Formula Regional. The rest was crystal clear.”
Mercedes CEO Ola Källenius was similarly supportive of the appointment, despite the external criticism.
Wolff said that doubts primarily came from people outside the team’s immediate decision-making structure, including commercial partners, rival teams, other drivers and sections of the media.
“There was absolutely no doubt. The doubts only came from outside. From people who were partners of the team back then and aren’t anymore. From other teams, from other drivers who felt they deserved a chance themselves. And from the media,” Wolff emphasised.
The comments underline how much resistance Mercedes encountered when it decided against pursuing a more experienced replacement for Hamilton.
Antonelli has delivered the ultimate response
Although Antonelli experienced a challenging introduction to Formula 1, Mercedes maintained that his development would require patience.
Wolff had anticipated a two-year process, with the Italian’s second campaign providing the opportunity to demonstrate that the potential identified in the junior categories could translate into championship-winning performances.
“For me and Mercedes, even during Antonelli’s bumpy Formula 1 debut season, there was ‘never the slightest doubt’ about the now 20-year-old,” Wolff explained.
“I knew it would be a project lasting at least two years, with the second year having to confirm what we had seen in him. And I think we’re sitting here today and we’ve received that confirmation.”
Antonelli’s 2026 championship victory has therefore provided a remarkable conclusion to a decision that initially attracted criticism and even cost Mercedes two sponsors.
Wolff described the achievement as “unbelievable”, reflecting on how recently the Italian had been an 11-year-old competing in junior karting.
“We really have to pinch ourselves, because it seems like only yesterday that he was standing in a garage as an eleven-year-old in junior karting.”
For Mercedes, the championship represents more than a successful driver promotion. It is also a vindication of Wolff’s willingness to ignore commercial pressure and trust the team’s assessment of a young talent.
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Writing that Hamilton was ‘replaced’ by Antonelli is really NOT accurate is it?!
Antonelli was signed to fill the seat VACATED by Hamilton. Please state the facts accurately