George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli: Expectations for the Upcoming Season

British racing driver George Russell has expressed his belief that he won’t outpace his new teammate, rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli, in the upcoming 2025 season. Despite not feeling any faster today than when he made his Formula 1 debut in 2019, Russell attributes his advantage to the six seasons of experience he has accumulated in the sport.

The Challenge of Competing Against a Rookie Team-mate

In an interview with media outlets, including Motorsport.com, ahead of the season-opening race in Australia, Russell was asked if he felt pressured to outperform Antonelli given that he is now paired with a rookie instead of seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton. He responded: “No, not at all. Kimi’s an exceptional driver, and I’ve said this before, I don’t feel any faster today than when I was 18 years old, but I’m far more experienced.”

Russell elaborated on his points, explaining that his experience allows him to navigate challenging situations such as traffic during qualifying laps or managing tire temperatures effectively. He emphasized that while he may not be any faster in terms of raw pace, he is confident that Antonelli will quickly adapt to the demands of Formula 1, just as other young drivers have done in the past.

Mercedes Team Chief Toto Wolff’s Perspective

Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff has echoed Russell’s sentiments, stating that he does not expect the British driver to consistently outperform Antonelli. “I said to George: ‘We don’t expect you to just be crushing Kimi all the time’,” Wolff commented. He further explained that the team would not have signed Antonelli if they believed Russell would dominate the competition.

Wolff expressed confidence in both drivers, stating that they will learn from each other and push each other to improve. He also highlighted that the team has a unique driver combination of one very young driver (Antonelli) and another relatively experienced driver (Russell), which could lead to exciting developments throughout the season.

As the 2025 Australian Grand Prix approaches, fans eagerly await the performance of this promising new duo and the challenges they will face together on the track.