Mercedes confirm Antonelli for 2025 F1 seat alongside Russell

©Mercedes

As expected, Mercedes have confirmed that 18-year-old protégé Andrea Kimi Antonelli will race alongside George Russell from the 2025 F1 season.

The Italian prodigy had been a strong favorite to replace Ferrari-bound and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, despite Mercedes' efforts to lure one Max Verstappen to the Brackley squad.

Antonelli’s recent performances in the FIA Formula 2 Championship with Prema coupled with his promising private F1 tests with Mercedes have ensued his promotion to the big time, despite his young age and relative inexperience.

“Our 2025 driver line-up combines experience, talent, youth and out-and-out raw speed,” commented Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.

“We are excited about what George and Kimi bring to the team both as individual drivers, but also as a partnership.

“Our new line-up is perfect to open the next chapter in our story. It is also a testament to the strength of our junior programme and our belief in home-grown talent.”

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Antonelli has experienced a remarkable ascent through the motorsport ranks, joining Mercedes' junior program in 2019 when he was just 12 years old.

After achieving notable success in karting, such as winning the FIA Karting European Championship and the WSK Euro Series, he transitioned to single-seater racing.

In 2022, he dominated the ADAC and Italian Formula 4 championships, and he followed that by securing the Formula Regional European Championship title in 2023.

In 2024, Antonelli advanced to FIA Formula 2, where he has adapted impressively. So far this season, he has secured two race victories, including a standout performance in the series’ Feature Race in Budapest.

The teenage charger was unsurprisingly elated with his step up to Formula 1 in 2025.

“It is an amazing feeling to be announced as a Mercedes works driver alongside George for 2025,” he said.

“Reaching F1 is a dream I’ve had since I was a small boy; I want to thank the team for the support they’ve given me in my career so far and the faith they’ve shown in me. I am still learning a lot, but I feel ready for the opportunity.

“I will be focused on getting better and delivering the best possible results for the team.

“I’m also really excited to become George’s team-mate. He came through the team’s junior programme just like myself and is 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 driver. I am looking forward to learning from him and working together to deliver on track.”

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.