Toto Wolff with Kimi Antonelli during F1 Grand Prix Of Abu Dhabi - Source: Getty
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has revealed that the regret of losing Max Verstappen in 2015 triggered the Kimi Antonelli call after Lewis Hamilton's bombshell decision. The Austrian has admitted afterward that he was caught by surprise at Hamilton's call early in January when he announced that he was moving to Ferrari.
As soon as that move was made, it left Toto Wolff and Mercedes in a vulnerable position as a replacement had to be found. By that time, the other highly rated talents like Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris had already been announced on long-term contracts by their respective teams and weren't in contention.
It was during this time that Toto Wolff decided to give Kimi Antonelli the opportunity and fast-track him straight to F1 after a somewhat decent season in F2. Looking back, when questioned if losing out on Max Verstappen's services in 2015 played a role, the Austrian admitted that this was certainly something that had crossed his mind. Back in 2015, the Verstappen family was in negotiation with both Mercedes and Red Bull for a seat in Formula 1.
