Mercedes are still searching for a driver to replace Lewis Hamilton next year.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has spoken to Mick Schumacher to discuss his plans for replacing Lewis Hamilton next year, according to reports. Hamilton will part ways with the Silver Arrows at the end of the season but his successor is yet to be announced, with Mercedes said to be exploring several options.
Schumacher has been Mercedes’ reserve driver since he was sacked by Haas at the end of 2022 after two seasons with the American team. He is also set to drive for Alpine in the hypercar category of this year’s World Endurance Championship.
The 25-year-old has made no secret of his desire to earn a full-time F1 seat but will not be returning to the grid with Mercedes any time soon. According to Bild, he has already been informed by Wolff that he will not be considered to fill Hamilton’s vacant seat next season.
Schumacher recently took part in a private Mercedes test at Silverstone, fuelling rumours that he could be a candidate to drive for the Silver Arrows in 2025. However, the report states that it was not an audition for a race seat, with Schumacher only being tasked with trying out certain settings on the car.
It is said that Wolff remains determined to lure Max Verstappen away from Red Bull, having identified the Dutchman as his top target for next year. Verstappen is under contract until the end of 2028 but has been openly courted by Mercedes in recent weeks.
Speaking earlier this year, Wolff admitted that he would jump at the chance to work with Verstappen if he decides to leave Red Bull, saying: “I’d love to have him, but first we need to sort out our car. I think we owe it to our drivers, George [Russell] and Lewis, to improve the car and give them equipment that is good before dreaming about the future.”
Mercedes prodigy Kimi Antonelli is another candidate to replace Hamilton at Mercedes, having been fast-tracked into Formula Two after winning last year’s FRECA Championship. The teenager has already taken part in a behind-closed-doors test for Mercedes and is expected to be given more sessions before the end of this year.
If Antonelli joins Mercedes in 2025, he will become the third youngest driver in the history of the sport behind only Verstappen and Lance Stroll. Ferrari academy star Oliver Bearman currently holds that place in the record books after filling in for Carlos Sainz at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
