F1 champion reveals Hamilton replacement links with Verstappen

Former Mercedes F1 champion Nico Rosberg has made a staggering link between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton’s potential replacement.

The Brackley-based outfit are yet to decide on who will replace Hamilton when he departs for Ferrari in 2025.

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Carlos Sainz was initially tipped with a move to Mercedes, who will be displaced by Hamilton when he arrives at the Scuderia.

However the Spaniard has since signed for Williams, as Mercedes turned their attention to their junior driver Kimi Andrea Antonelli.

Will Kimi Andrea Antonelli join Mercedes?

According to a recent report from Autosprint, Mercedes are set to confirm the 17-year-old ahead of his home race at the Italian Grand Prix.

Antonelli currently competes in F2 alongside Haas bound Ollie Bearman at Prema, where he achieved a sprint win at Silverstone and his first feature race victory in Hungary.

Not only has Antonelli impressed Mercedes bosses, but also the 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg, who has even gone so far as to compare the Italian to Verstappen.

“Antonelli just doesn’t have the car to show what he’s capable of in Formula 2,” Rosberg told Sky Sports F1.

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“And we know that sometimes that is the case in the lower categories. So you need to get yourself there too in the good cars and so it’s a bit of a waste at the moment.

“So certainly it would be helpful if the move to something like Williams would be possible for him to really show what he’s capable of and also start building his confidence towards the possible move to Mercedes.”

“Kimi Antonelli raced in my go-karting team when he was a little kid,” the champion added.

“He’s phenomenal. He’s Max Verstappen-level. It’s really unbelievable.”

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