F1 News

George Russell comments on Antonelli becoming his team mate

Russell gives his verdict on who his future teammate could be

23 May at 15:00

The question still remains, who will be paired with George Russell in 2025 at Mercedes once Lewis Hamilton leaves? Speaking in today's press conference in Monaco, the British driver has weighed in on whether Kimi Antonelli could be the perfect partner for him.

Russell began by saying: "I think Kimi is a fantastic driver, obviously racing in Formula 2 this year But he's no doubt going to be a Formula 1 driver in the future. He's a fellow junior driver as well, come through the ranks as I did with the team." 

"I think it makes for a great opportunity for Mercedes to build into the future." 

'I'd welcome anybody'

Like Russell, Antonelli is part of the Mercedes family already. The junior driver has already shown great promise, with team boss Toto Wolff recently comparing the F2 driver to Russell. Hamilton, who is making the move to Ferrari at the end of the season, has also shown his support for the young driver. Recently, the former world champion was quoted in ESPN saying he thinks Wolff should sign Antonelli. 

Nevertheless, for Russell, he is open to being paired with anybody: "As I said before, I'd welcome anybody as my teammate. I feel like I've got a pretty good teammate right now as it is. So, yeah, welcome anybody."