Mercedes Dream Team's Journey To F1
- therookiereporters
- Dec 8, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Dec 9, 2025
This article covers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell’s rise through the racing ranks, tracing their path from karting prodigies to Formula 1 stars.
Kimi Antonelli’s path to Formula 1 has been a rapid rise built on talent. Starting karting in Italy at a young age, he quickly became a standout, winning international titles and catching the eye of Mercedes. They signed him to their junior programme when he was just thirteen years old.
He made the jump from karts into single-seaters in 2021, competing and immediately dominating both the Italian and ADAC (German) Formula 4 championships, seeing him take home the Italian F4 Championship two races before the end of the season and the ADAC Championship one race early. He finished 2021 being the second-most successful driver in the history of Formula 4, having taken 26 wins. Antonelli drove in F4 UAE in 2022 and in 2023, he stepped up to Formula Regional Middle East and Formula Regional Europe and won both of those titles, too, proving his consistency.
Skipping F3 entirely, Antonelli jumped straight into Formula 2 in 2024. In a uncharacteristically slow Prema car, he finished the season in 6th with two victories and three podiums. His display of raw speed across the season made his move to Formula 1 feel like the natural next step for one of racing’s most exciting young talents.
George Russell began his karting journey at the age of 7. However, after a successful karting career, he went on to win back-to-back Junior Direct Drive Championships in 2011 and 2012. Then, after George had graduated from karting, he won his first F4 title in 2014 in the BRDC F4
He spent the next two years in European Formula 3, where he finished sixth and third. Following this season, George signed with Mercedes Driver Academy.
In 2017, he went on to win the GP3 series as a rookie, taking 4 wins. The following season, he continued with the same team, ART, and was promoted to Formula 2. After a tight championship battle with Norris, George won the championship, becoming the first driver to do so in their rookie season. Whilst competing in that Formula 2 season, Mercedes made Russell their reserve driver.
Then, in 2019, he signed a three-year deal for Williams, who allowed him to stay a Mercedes junior and made his debut for them at the Australian GP. The following year, in 2020, he substituted Lewis Hamilton at the Sakhir Grand Prix, making a single race debut at Mercedes.
By 2022, he achieved a podium at the Belgian Grand Prix with Williams before he signed with Mercedes and became Lewis Hamilton's driving partner, replacing Valtteri Bottas. In his first season as a Mercedes driver, he gained pole position in Hungary. Then he won his first race in São Paulo, meaning that he finished 4th overall in the Championships. After that season, he had a winless season in 2023 but went on to win the Austrian and Las Vegas Grand Prix in 2024.
Finally, as of the Qatar Grand Prix, in the 2025 season, George has achieved 2 race wins, 2 pole positions, 3 fastest laps and 9 podiums overall. He sits fourth in the driver's standings and has an ongoing contract with Mercedes, locking him in until the end of the 2026 season.
Article written by Mia Erasmus and Elsie Nash ©️ Mia Erasmus and Elsie Nash
