The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 TEAM presents the driver line-up for the next chapter
- Italian driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli will race alongside George Russell in 2025, with both drivers having completed the team’s junior programme.
- Multiple Grand Prix winner Russell heads into his fourth season with the team and seventh in Formula 1.
- Antonelli retires from FIA F2 after a stellar career in junior formulas.
- Toto Wolff: “Our new line-up provides a strong platform to open the next chapter of our Mercedes Motorsport story.”
2024 Italian Grand Prix, Friday – Jiri Krenek
Multiple Grand Prix winner George Russell will team up with 18-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli for 2025 as the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team announced its new driver line-up. Antonelli is leaving FIA F2 to complete the team’s junior programme, just like Russell before him.
Toto Wolff, Team Principal and CEO of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, said:
“Our rider line-up for 2025 combines experience, talent, youth and unbeatable speed. We look forward to what George and Kimi will bring to the team as individual drivers, but also as team partners. Our new lineup is perfect for opening the next chapter of our story. It is also a testament to the strength of our junior program and our belief in homegrown talent. George proved that he is one of the best riders in the world. Not only is he fast, consistent and determined, he has also developed into a strong leader in the team. Kimi continues to demonstrate the talent and speed needed to compete at the very pinnacle of our sport. We know it will be another big step forward, but he has impressed us in F1 testing this year and we will support him every step of the way in the learning process. In George, he has an experienced teammate from whom he can learn and hone his craft. I’m sure both will be a big asset as we continue to build momentum and fight at the front of the field.”
George Russell
George joined the team’s junior program in 2017. He quickly rose through the single-seater ranks to F1, winning the GP3 and F2 championships in his first season. After three years driving for Williams – including an impressive cameo for Mercedes in Bahrain in 2020 – he was promoted to partner Lewis Hamilton in 2022. He took his first F1 victory at the São Paulo Grand Prix and became a multiple race winner with success in Austria this year.
George added:
“I’m really excited to be working with Kimi in 2025. His record in Junior Formula has been impressive and his promotion is really deserved. He is a fantastic young talent and another graduate of our junior programme. I look forward to using the experience I have gained on my own journey to provide guidance to Kimi on his journey to F1. I know how much support Lewis has given me throughout my time as a junior driver and since being his teammate. I learned a lot from him and I hope to play a similar role for Kimi. As a team, we continue to progress on the track and work hard to put all the pieces in place to compete for the World Championship. It’s a really exciting journey we’re on; I am confident that Kimi and I can continue to push the team forward and help fulfill the promise that binds us.”
Kim Antonelli
Meanwhile, Kimi has experienced a stunning rise through the lower ranks of motorsport, joining the team’s junior program in 2019 as a 12-year-old. After success in karting, including titles in the FIA Karting European Championship and the WSK Euro Series, he switched to single-seaters. In 2022, he won the ADAC and Italian Formula 4 titles, and in 2023 he won the Formula Regional European Champion title.
Kimi has stepped up to FIA Formula 2 for 2024 and has done it with flying colours. He has claimed two wins so far this season, including an impressive success in the main event in Budapest.
Kimi commented:
“It’s an amazing feeling to be announced as a Mercedes factory driver alongside George for 2025. Getting into F1 is a dream I’ve had since childhood. I want to thank the team for the support they have given me in my career so far and the trust they have shown in me. I’m still learning a lot, but I feel ready for this opportunity. I will focus on improving myself and achieving the best possible results for the team. I am also very happy to become George’s teammate. He came through the team’s junior program just like I did and he’s someone I have a huge amount of respect for. He is super fast, a multiple Grand Prix winner and has already helped me improve as a rider. I look forward to learning from him and working together to achieve good results.”
2024 Italian Grand Prix, Friday – Sam Bloxham
Markus Schäfer, Non-Executive Chairman and Chief Technical Officer of Mercedes-Benz AG, added:
“It’s an exciting time for the team as we unveil our rider line-up for 2025. Next year we open the next chapter in our story and we have a fantastic partnership to do so. As a multiple Grand Prix winner, George developed into a top driver. It has been a pleasure to see him come through the ranks of the team’s junior program, establish himself in Formula 1 over the past few years and become a team leader. Kimi, like George and Lewis, is one of our homegrown talents with a very promising future. His record at the junior level is incredibly impressive and his speed is clear to see. I can’t wait to see him in the racing seat next year and see his talent shine in a Mercedes F1 car.”
Source: Mercedes AMG-PETRONAS Formula One Team
