George Russell warns against ‘naivety’ facing Kimi Antonelli at Mercedes

George Russell will treat Andrea Kimi Antonelli with “a lot of respect” despite 2025 being his rookie F1 campaign.

Antonelli will make his F1 debut at next month’s Australian Grand Prix after Mercedes opted to sign him as Lewis Hamilton’s replacement.

While Antonelli has undergone an extensive F1 testing programme ahead of his debut, he has limited single-seater racing experience.

The 18-year-old was fast-tracked through the categories, bypassing Formula 3 to compete in Formula 2.

Mercedes view Antonelli as their own Max Verstappen-type talent, who became a race winner with Red Bull at 18 in 2016.

Speaking to sport.de, Russell isn’t taking the challenge of going up against Antonelli lightly.

“I think he’ll definitely keep me on my toes, there’s no doubt about that,” Russell said. “When I think back to when I was 18, I don’t feel any faster today.

“I feel more experienced. I know how to deal with the pressure of F1 and everything that comes with working with a team of 2,000 people.

“But in terms of speed, you either have it or you don’t. I think he has it, so I’m going to give him a lot of respect.

“We’re going to work well as a team, I’m excited to see what he can achieve.

“But you should never be naive, especially when the youngsters are coming in, because I remember when I was that age, and you have a lot of fire within you.”

Mercedes hit major milestone

As preparations continue for the 2025 F1 season, Mercedes have a hit a significant milestone.

Over the weekend, Mercedes posted a video on their social channels of the W16 - their 2025 challenger - being fired up.

It’s a landmark moment for any team as their new machine comes to life ahead of a new campaign.

Mercedes will officially reveal their new car on February 24, two days before pre-season testing in Bahrain.

The whole team will hope the W16 is more consistent than its predecessor.

While Mercedes took four wins last year, they were a distant fourth in the F1 constructors’ championship.