Toto Wolff has plenty of time to settle on Lewis Hamilton's replacement, but Andrea Kimi Antonelli may be a no-brainer pick if Karun Chandhok's words are to go by.
Mercedes were rocked by news that Hamilton would be cutting his two-year contract short at the end of the season to join Ferrari.
The Silver Arrows were always aware that the day would eventually come they'd need to replace Hamilton.
But Wolff wouldn't have expected it to come this early and the race is now on for Mercedes to decide which direction they plan to go in.
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen are two generational talents
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A host of drivers have already been linked with Hamilton's seat, particularly with many out of contract at the end of 2024.
Carlos Sainz, Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso are just a few names to have been touted as options.
But it's also been suggested Mercedes may opt for an up-and-coming talent with 17-year-old Antonelli earning rave reviews in the junior racing categories.
He makes the step up to F2 this year with Prema Racing in what is set to be a big test for the young Italian.
However, Chandhok has spoken with people close to the teenager who are convinced he could be a generational talent.
“From everything I hear of Antonelli, he’s pretty damn special,” Chandhok wrote on social media.
“Spoke with the F3 engineers who ran him recently on a private test day.
“Said he was the best driver in an F3 car since [Max] Verstappen! McLaren gamble with rookie Lewis in 2007 worked out.”
Wolff has been delighted with Antonelli's development over the past decade having first discovered him as a young child.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli is set for the biggest year of his career
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However, the Mercedes team principal doesn't want to put any pressure on the youngster's shoulders heading into the biggest year of his career.
“We got Kimi under the wings in 2012 and he was a great kid already then," Wolff said.
"You could see the character [and] he was strong. We had him in the garage and there was a lot of confidence.
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Toto Wolff has time on his side to replace Lewis Hamilton
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“In go-karting his track record was immense and then you put him in the junior formulas and he wins every single season in his rookie year.
"But we’ve got to be careful because there’s a lot of hype around him.
"Putting him into F2 is a big step because those cars are heavier and much more powerful.
“If we give him his time, and don’t expect him to be killing it in his first season, I think he can be a really great one in this sport. He’s 17 – this is so young.”