Shortly before the US Grand Prix, the Mercedes Formula 1 racing team announced its driver duo for the coming season. As expected, it remains with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli. “The confirmation of our driver pairing was always just a question of when, not if,” said team boss and co-owner Toto Wolff in a statement. The Austrian had recently emphasized on the sidelines of the Singapore Grand Prix, which Russell won, that both were fixed for the coming year. “We wanted to take our time, conduct the negotiations properly and make sure that all parties are satisfied,” explained Wolff before the so-called triple header with the races in Austin, Mexico City and São Paulo on the next three consecutive weekends. Both come from the Mercedes young talent factory. Russell moved from Williams to Mercedes for the 2022 season. The 27-year-old Brit celebrated his five Grand Prix successes so far with the Silver Arrows. Antonelli is completing his debut season in the premier motorsport class this year. The 19-year-old Italian, who replaced record world champion Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, made it onto the podium for the first time this year in Canada in third place. Both went through Mercedes’ youth program.More on the topic “It has been a long and successful partnership with the team so far and I am excited to see what lies ahead – especially since one of the biggest rule changes in the history of the sport awaits us next year,” said Russell, with a view to the reform next year with, among other things, significantly more sustainable engines. “In my first season in F1, I learned a lot in both good and difficult moments. All of this made me stronger not only as a driver but also as a teammate,” said Antonelli.
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