Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli has hinted at his teammate, George Russell’s, departure from the team as Max Verstappen eyes his seat.
Rumours of Verstappen’s interest in Mercedes have peaked, leaving us all to wonder which of the two Mercedes drivers will be swapped out for the four-time world champion.
Russell has an argument for being the best driver on the grid this season with his consistent performances; however, Mercedes have invested in Antonelli as the next F1 star, and only just gave the 18-year-old his seat.
The young Italian sounds confident that he won’t be the one replaced should Verstappen join the team.
Kimi Antonelli confident of keeping Mercedes seat, ‘They’re looking for the future’
Antonelli shows self-assurance beyond his years when asked about the lingering Verstappen rumours.
He said, “I’m not really worried about myself, I’m just trying to focus as much as possible on what I have to do to deliver the best performance as possible.”
The Italian seems sure that the investment that Mercedes have put into his future means the seat will be his for the foreseeable future.
He continued, “I think the team has given me a lot of trust and is still doing so, and they’re also giving me time to grow. Obviously, there’s a lot going on, but I’m sure that the team is doing their best to provide the best for the future.
“They’re not looking only for next year, but they’re looking as well for the future. So obviously there’s a lot going on, but a lot of talks, but my goal is just to try and do my best, no matter what.”
A podium in Canada and sprint pole in Miami have been the two glimmers of potential among a difficult stretch of the season for Antonelli.
He recklessly took Verstappen, potentially his future teammate, out of the race at turn three in Red Bull’s home Grand Prix of Austria, one of four DNFs in the last six races.
Antonelli understands that he has a lot of room to grow this season, and that’s what he’s focused on.
He said, “On my side, I think last weekend was not the best, but at the same time I’m really trying to work on my weak points, to try and reduce the [number] of mistakes.
“Of course, there’s a lot going on and a lot of talks, but at the end of the day, I’m just trying to focus on myself and deliver the best job as possible.”
Max Verstappen and Toto Wolff secretly meet amidst contract talks
Christian Horner’s Red Bull firing breathes even more life into the question: will one of F1’s all-time greats be leaving for Mercedes?
In the latest chapter of this ever-unfolding tale, Verstappen and Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff are rumoured to have met in Sardinia as talks of the Dutchman’s Mercedes move intensify.
Ralf Schumacher initially reported that this would happen, but F1 fans confirmed this by tracking Verstappen and Wolff’s private jets and yachts to the island.
Unless the pair just happened to be taking a restful Sardinian holiday in the same place at the same time, contract talks are progressing fast.
Verstappen’s release clause triggers at the end of July according to reports, so we can perhaps expect some news after then.