Mercedes in no rush on 2025 driver decision

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has stated he is in no rush to finalize the team's 2025 driver line-up, admitting

"I'm going to take it easy and evaluate the market"

amid swirling speculation around Max Verstappen's future.

Coveted seat up for grabs

With Lewis Hamilton's shock switch to Ferrari for 2025, one of the most coveted seats on the F1 grid has become available at Mercedes alongside George Russell.

A number of experienced and emerging talents are believed to be in the frame to potentially replace the seven-time world champion.

Mercedes junior vs established names

Among the candidates under consideration is Mercedes junior driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli, with Wolff keen to assess the highly-rated 17-year-old's progress in the opening Formula 2 rounds.

However, Antonelli's Prema team has endured a difficult start, leaving question marks over how to judge his early performances.

Experienced drivers like Carlos Sainz, Alex Albon and Fernando Alonso are other options being weighed up, boasting proven F1 pedigree to quickly get up to speed.

Verstappen situation fluid

But it is the ongoing situation involving Max Verstappen and Red Bull that could present Mercedes with a mouth-watering opportunity to sign the two-time world champion.

The fallout from the investigation into allegations against Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has increased tensions, with Verstappen's father Jos calling for Horner's dismissal.

This has fueled speculation Verstappen could activate exit clauses should a new team boss be appointed.

Wolff was pictured in discussions with Jos Verstappen in Bahrain and admitted having dinner together, adding further intrigue around Mercedes making an audacious swoop.

"I think the driver will always choose the quickest car. That is fundamentally what it's all about," Wolff stated. "At the moment the Red Bull is the quickest car, so that will obviously be the priority."

However, with the Horner saga ongoing and Mercedes' own competitiveness currently trailing Red Bull's benchmark, Wolff insists there is no urgency to make a rushed call on 2025 drivers.

"I'm in no hurry for us to take a decision on drivers. I've been rushed in a hurry by Lewis. So, this time around I'm going to take it easy and evaluate the market,"

He explained:

"We will see how the next few races pan out...a championship-winning team 17th and 18th in F2, that's not at all where [Prema] should be."