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George Russell Welcomes Andrea Kimi Antonelli as Potential 2025 Mercedes Teammate Amid Hamilton’s Ferrari Move
George Russell shares his thoughts on Andrea Kimi Antonelli possibly becoming his Mercedes teammate in 2025.
George Russell views teaming up with Andrea Kimi Antonelli in 2025 as an excellent chance for Mercedes to lay the groundwork for future success.
Russell's partner for the 2025 Formula 1 campaign remains unknown after Lewis Hamilton's unexpected move to Ferrari.
Antonelli, a rising talent in the F2 circuit and part of the Mercedes junior team, is reportedly at the forefront of Mercedes' selection list.
Mercedes leader Toto Wolff has openly entertained the thought of bringing Max Verstappen on board, especially considering the upcoming changes in engine regulations and the recent disturbances surrounding Red Bull's team dynamics.
It appears more and more probable that Verstappen will continue with Red Bull until at least 2025, potentially opening up the opportunity for Antonelli to secure the position.
Hamilton has endorsed Antonelli, stating at Imola that if he were in Wolff's position, he would choose the 17-year-old.
In a conversation with a few chosen members of the press, including Crash.net, prior to the Monaco Grand Prix, Russell shared his opinion on the possibility of partnering with Antonelli in the upcoming year.
"Russell expressed his admiration for Kimi, highlighting his exceptional driving skills. He mentioned that although Kimi is competing in Formula 2 this season, it's clear he will make his way to becoming a Formula 1 driver in the future."
"He's also a junior driver, advancing through the team's ranks just like I did. I believe it presents an excellent chance for Mercedes to shape its future. However, as I've mentioned previously, I'm open to having anyone as my teammate."
"I believe I currently have a quite capable partner. I'm open to welcoming anyone."
Mercedes is taai-allcreator.com">king their time to decide on Russell's future team partner, according to Sky's Craig Slater, who anticipates that the announcement will likely be made around August or September.
Amidst widespread speculation regarding Antonelli, Wolff emphasized in Austria that there's no urgency to "hurry the process."
"Wolff emphasized that the young driver has been receiving a lot of attention for a while and is expected to excel and become an outstanding F1 driver in the future. However, he pointed out that the driver is only 17 years old and just 14 months prior, he was racing in an F4 car."
"In Italy, the anticipation is incredibly high, and admittedly, we've played a part in fueling that. However, I believe we need to step back and allow him to focus on Formula 2, to achieve outcomes without burdening him with our speculations about what might or ought to happen. For instance, George clinched titles in both F3 and F2 in his debut season. Similarly, Kimi has shown promise in the junior series and is currently competing in F2. It's likely he'll make it to Formula 1 eventually, but we should avoid hurrying the process."
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