Mercedes team principal and CEO Toto Wolff Toto Wolff’s hunt for Lewis Hamilton’s replacement is still ongoing as Max Verstappen blatancy rejected 150 million euros offer citing team’s ongoing struggle. He wants to win and currently, the Dutch driver can only accomplish that at Red Bull.
However, Toto Wolff’s control in the F1 paddock extends beyond his business at Mercedes. Wolff has a significant say in customer team Williams Racing management as he has previously used Williams’ seats to test some junior drivers for his team. And in a recent move, the Austrian team principal is reportedly pushing the candidature of his preferred driver for the soon-to-be vacant second seat.
Toto Wolff In Talks With Williams To Place Esteban Ocon In Logan Sargeant’s Seat
Williams Racing landed in deep mess this F1 season after Alex Albon destroyed his car’s chassis in a brutal crash. And surprisingly, Williams allowed Albon to take Logan Sargeant’s car, thus leaving the American without a car to drive in the Japanese Grand Prix. The move simply confirmed the power struggle in Williams, with many speculating about Sargeant’s exit by the end of the 2024 season. That being said, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is taking advantage of the power struggle to push the candidature of his favorite driver, Esteban Ocon. Notably, Ocon is still managed by Wolff, and given Alpine’s recent struggle, he wants the best for his client, and Williams remains Ocon’s best bet for now.
F1 Insider claims that Toto Wolff is in talks with Williams to consider Esteban Ocon for the second seat beside Alex Albon, as Ocon’s contract is set to expire by the end of the year, and he certainly does not wish to stay at the dire French outfit anymore. It’s important to note that Ocon will also be a priority candidate for Audi if Carlos Sainz ends up rejecting the offer. Notably, Wolff was also speculated to be pushing Kimi Antonelli’s candidature this season itself. With Lewis Hamilton heading to Ferrari next year, Wolff apparently wanted to test Kimi’s readiness, and hence, fast-tracking his debut with the customer team, Williams seemed the best available choice. However, Wolff dismissed those rumors, saying he wanted to be patient with the 17-year-old and not burdened with expectations at such a young age.
Mercedes Did Not Request Rule Exemption For Kimi Antonelli, Confirms Wolff
Days leading up to the recently concluded Miami Grand Prix, rumors flared that Mercedes filed an official request with FIA to relax the minimum age barrier for F1 super license to fast-track a 17-year-old Kimi Antonelli’s F1 debut. The minimum age to attain a super license is 18, and Kimi will not fall into that category until August of this year.
It was speculated that Toto Wolff wants to put Kimi Antonelli in Williams seat from Imola GP to check his readiness. However, at the Miami Grand Prix, Wolff dismissed the rumors saying the request didn’t come from Mercedes and that he has no intentions to aggressively push Kimi into F1. He is an F2 driver with Prema currently that he will continue to focus on that momentarily.
Stay tuned to Sports News International for more such updates about your favorite F1 team.
