George Russell snubs Kimi Antonelli as he names ‘number one pick’ for Mercedes seat

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George Russell will race alongside teenage sensation Kimi Antonelli at Mercedes next season. The Silver Arrows have yet to confirm the move, but that’s a formality at this stage.

Antonelli has signed his Mercedes deal, and an announcement should follow shortly. The Italian, who turns 18 on Sunday, will become one of the youngest F1 drivers in history after just a single season in Formula 2.

Russell should now be the team leader at Brackley. Mercedes are unlikely to pose a clear hierarchy but Toto Wolff will surely expect him to consistently beat the youngster in their first season together.

F1 expert Peter Windsor says Russell will hope to have Antonelli ‘for breakfast’. But if he has as much potential as Mercedes say – Wolff believes he has the next Max Verstappen on his hands – then he could cause the 26-year-old some problems.

The two drivers have already shared the track during a test at Silverstone in the spring. Russell says Antonelli was ‘exceptionally fast’ following reports that the Prema ace edged him in race trim.

Next year’s Mercedes could feasibly be a championship-contending car. The Silver Arrows have won three of the last four Grands Prix after finally making a breakthrough with their ground-effect concept.

George Russell wants to beat Max Verstappen at Mercedes

With confirmation of Antonelli’s arrival imminent, Russell has instead issued a challenge to Verstappen. He’ll have to wait for the opportunity to go against the Dutchman, though.

Wolff has confirmed that Verstappen will stay at Red Bull for 2025, but he’s still optimistic that the world champion will join eventually. That may be in 2026, or even further down the line.

But talks did place, which suggests that Verstappen was willing to consider a move. Russell insists he would have welcomed the seismic swoop.

He beat Lewis Hamilton in their first year together in 2022 and while he’s currently on course to lose out in the standings for the second year in a row – he’s 34 points behind right now – he leads F1’s most successful driver 10-4 in qualifying. He’s now keen to prove himself against the dominant Verstappen.

“Nobody thinks that Verstappen is beatable – the same way they thought that about Lewis Hamilton,” he told Viaplay. “There’s only one way to prove that and that’s going against the best. My number one pick, as I said, would be Max.”

The vital detail in Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes contract that could be bad news for George Russell

Verstappen negotiated an exit clause for 2026, looking ahead to the sweeping regulation changes. This leaves both Mercedes drivers vulnerable.

Russell will feel he should be safe. He’s consistently challenged and often outpaced Hamilton, which means he’s proven at the highest level – unlike Antonelli.

But Wolff will have misgivings about parting with the crown jewel of his academy after just 12 months. Indeed, Antonelli has signed a multi-year deal with Mercedes.

And what’s more, Russell’s contract expires at the end of next year. If there isn’t a swift resolution, speculation about the Englishman changing teams will ramp up.