George Russell is excited to race alongside his new Mercedes teammate, Kimi Antonelli, in the 2025 season. Speaking at the team’s W16 launch, the Briton expressed his enthusiasm about mentoring the Italian rookie as he settles into Formula 1 and the Mercedes environment.

Antonelli, regarded as a generational talent, was promoted to F1 in place of Lewis Hamilton for 2025 and beyond, swiftly progressing through Mercedes’ junior ranks from Formula Regional to F2. While Russell now has three seasons under his belt with the Brackley-based squad, expectations are high for Antonelli.

Reflecting on the upcoming season, Russell highlighted the team’s renewed energy in the post-Hamilton era.

Speaking in a team statement at the car launch, George Russell said:

“It’s also exciting having a new team-mate in Kimi this year. He’s incredibly quick and I think we will make a great partnership. Naturally, there is a lot for him to learn in his first season but I’m looking forward to helping him do that and working together to help push the team forward.”

He added:

“I feel like last year was my strongest in F1. This coming season will be my seventh in the sport, and fourth with the works Mercedes team, and I’m working hard to improve year-on-year. As a team, we are incredibly motivated to improve on last season. There is a great energy within the factories at Brackley and Brixworth so I’m eager to take to the track.”

George Russell reckons shakedown laps should be good enough to determine Mercedes’ competitiveness

George Russell believes that the initial five laps in the Mercedes W16 will provide a strong indication of whether the 2025 season will be a competitive one for the team. Speaking at the car’s launch, the Brit explained that shakedown laps have historically been a reliable gauge of the car’s potential from the outset.

Reflecting on past seasons, Russell noted that early feedback from pre-season runs often set the tone for the year ahead. While the 27-year-old remains optimistic about Mercedes’ improvements, he acknowledged that the true test will come once the car hits the track. With stable regulations and increased competition expected in 2025, Russell is eager to see how the W16 stacks up against its rivals.

Speaking to select onsite media including Motorsport week at the F175 launch in London, George Russell said:

“I think within five laps you know if you’re in for a good season or not. And we’ve known within the first five laps of the last couple of years that we wouldn’t be fighting for the championship. Or at least we knew we wouldn’t be fighting at the beginning of the season. So I feel that, as I said, it’s been much more robust this season, but all of the teams are so competitive now. And everybody knows the limitations that they’ve had over these last three years.”

Mercedes has not been a title contender since the introduction of ground-effect regulations in 2022, struggling to find consistent performances compared to their dominant era from 2014 to 2021. In 2024, their customer team McLaren outperformed them, securing the Constructors’ Championship while Mercedes finished a disappointing fourth.

With competition expected to be even tighter in 2025, all eyes will be on how the Silver Arrows attempt to reclaim their winning form. Beyond the technical challenges, the team faces a significant transition with the departure of Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari and the integration of rookie Kimi Antonelli alongside George Russell. Managing the development of their W16 and mentoring a young driver will be key hurdles for Mercedes as they aim to return to the front of the grid.