Russell praises Antonelli to the highest: 'Destined to be an F1 driver'
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Who will be George Russell teammate in 2025 is still unknown at the moment in the world of Formula One. Mercedes have yesterday confirmed to GPblog that Max Verstappen will not drive for the team this upcoming season, and also that Andrea Kimi Antonelli's seat is not a certainty either. Ahead of Dutch Grand Prix, the British driver talked about the Italian youngster.
"Kimi Raikkonen, Sorry? (...) [Kimi Antonelli], He's the F2 driver, right?" Russell joked about the Mercedes junior driver. On a more serious note, the two-time Grand Prix winner praised the Italian. "No, I think whoever's going to be my teammate next year, of course, will welcome them and excited for the challenge together. He's an exceptional driver. Such an amazing track record in his junior series. Always destined to be a Formula One driver."
Russell continued, praising his team's junior programme: "And if it were to be him, I think it sort of shows the strength also of the Mercedes junior programme and reminds me a bit of my journey, starting off as a young kid walking through the doors in Formula Three and climbing the ladder. And it would be a great story for the team. But who knows?" the Briton left the door open.
Russell and the team follow Antonelli closely
According the Mercedes driver, he also keeps a close eye on the prospect. "I see him every time he's racing F2. We always keep a close eye on how he's getting on, watching all of the races. We did a test together in Silverstone a couple of months ago, so that was a great opportunity for him to get behind the wheel of a Formula One car."
He concluded with further praising the current F2 driver, who has won the feature race at the Hungaroring earlier this season. "He was exceptionally fast [at the test], so I'm sure if he were to get a drive in Formula One, I'm sure he did a great job."
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