George Russell is delighted to run alongside his new Mercedes teammate, Kimi Antonelli, in the 2025 season. Speaking during the launch of the W16 team, the Briton expressed his enthusiasm at the idea of supervising the Italian recruit so then that he settles in Formula 1 and in the Mercedes environment.
Antonelli, considered a generational talent, was promoted to F1 in place of Lewis Hamilton for 2025 and beyond, progressing quickly in the junior ranks of Mercedes de Formula Regional at F2. While Russell now has three seasons to his credit with the Brackley -based team, expectations are high for Antonelli.
By reflecting on the coming season, Russell underlined the renewed energy of the team in the post-Hamilton era.
Speaking in a team press release during the launch of the car, George Russell said:
“It’s also exciting to have a new teammate in Kimi this year. It is incredibly fast and I think we will make an excellent partnership. Naturally, there is a lot to learn in his first season, but I can’t wait to help him do this and work together to help the team advance. »»
He added:
“I have the impression that last year was my strongest in F1. This coming season will be my seventh in sport, and fourth with the Works Mercedes team, and I work hard to improve in annual shift. As a team, we are incredibly motivated to improve last season. There is great energy in the factories of Brackley and Brixworth, so I can’t wait to take the track. “”
George Russell believes that Shakedown Tours should be good enough to determine Mercedes’s competitiveness
George Russell believes that the first five laps of the Mercedes W16 will provide a strong indication of whether the 2025 season will be competitive for the team. Speaking during the launch of the car, the Briton explained that the Shakedown towers were historically a reliable gauge in the potential of the car from the start.
By reflecting on the past seasons, Russell noted that the first comments of the pre-season races often set the tone for the coming year. While the 27 -year -old remains optimistic about Mercedes’s improvements, he recognized that the real test would come once the car has reached the track. With stable regulations and increased competition expected in 2025, Russell is impatient to see how W16 is accompanied by its rivals.
Addressing certain media on site, including Motorsport Week during the launch of the F175 in London, George Russell said:
“I think that in the five laps, you know if you are in a good season or not. And we have known in the first five laps of the last two years that we would not fight for the championship. Or at least we knew that we were not fighting at the start of the season. So I think that, as I said, it was much more robust this season, but all the teams are so competitive now. And everyone knows the limits they have had in the past three years. »»
Mercedes has not been a candidate for the title since the introduction of the regulation of ground effects in 2022, who has trouble finding coherent performances compared to their dominant era from 2014 to 2021. In 2024, their customer team McLaren outperformed them, securing the manufacturers’ championship while Mercedes finished a fourth disappointing.
With the competition which should be even tighter in 2025, all the eyes will be on how the silver arrows will try to recover their winning shape. Beyond the technical challenges, the team faces a significant transition with the departure of Lewis Hamilton in Ferrari and the integration of the Kimi Antonelli recruit alongside George Russell. Managing the development of their W16 and supervising a young driver will be key obstacles to Mercedes while they are going to come back to the front of the grid.
Edited by Neelabhra Roy
