Youth Program | Mercedes-AMG F1

Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 The group is happy to announce the Younger Program drivers roster for 2023. Six drivers from 2022 proceed with the Staff, including one other seven promising skills to the roster for this 12 months. Launched in 2016, this system continues Mercedes-Benz’s legacy of figuring out and supporting younger drivers.

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Seven children will compete in classes spanning the whole F1 feeder collection ladder spectrum, from karting to FIA Components 2.

Toto Wolff, Staff Principal and CEO:

We will not wait to see how our Younger Drivers progress this season. We have seen some nice performances in 2022 and can proceed to assist them enhance as they develop. Kimi’s Components Regional Center East title is an encouraging current instance of their progress. All of our Younger Drivers are at very completely different however thrilling phases of their junior careers and I’m certain will probably be one other optimistic 12 months for this system.

Gwen Lagrue, Driver Improvement Marketing consultant:

For 2023, in our Junior Program, drivers compete on practically each step of the feeder collection ladder. We’re optimistic that will probably be one other robust season and a 12 months of optimistic progress. After getting a primary style of F1 in rookie testing in Abu Dhabi final 12 months, we anticipate Frederick Vesti to battle for wins and battle for the FIA ​​F2 title.

After a profitable marketing campaign within the Components Regional European Championship (FRECA) organized by Alpine (FRECA), Paul Aron was promoted to FIA F3. He is able to be the chief in his first season. Andrea Kimi Antonelli will graduate from FRECA after an excellent double championship successful the F4 marketing campaign and a stable begin to 2023 by successful the Components Regional Center East title.

Alex Powell leads our group of drivers on the worldwide karting scene together with Yuanpu Cui and Luna Fluxá; all of them have the expertise to ship robust seasons. We’re additionally happy to welcome the proficient Kenzo Craigie to our program in 2023 and to be our youngest Junior as we compete within the British karting championships.

Meet the Junior Program Class of 2023:

Andrea Kimi Antonelli

Andrea Kimi Antonelli: Class of 2023 – Junior Program Lineup

Born in Bologna, Italy in 2006, Kimi joined the Junior Program in April 2019 after successful varied titles and championships in junior karting classes.

Success in karting continued, with Kimi taking the WSK Euro Collection and Tremendous Grasp Collection titles within the OK class earlier than successful back-to-back FIA Karting European Championships. On the finish of 2021, he had his first F4 expertise, taking a number of podiums. He switched to F4 full-time in 2022 and took the ADAC and Italy championships with Prema Racing.

For 2023, he was promoted to the Components Regional European Championship by Alpine, who had gained the Center East model of the collection.

paul aron

Paul Aron: Class of 2023 – Junior Program Lineup

Paul was born in Tallinn, Estonia in 2004 and began karting on the age of seven. Within the early years of his profession, he gained a number of karting championships in Estonia and Europe, together with the WSK Champions Cup within the OK Junior class and the CIK-FIA European Championship. In 2019, it switched to single-seater automobiles with ADAC and Italian F4 campaigns.

He joined our Junior Program the identical 12 months and made his method to the Components Renault Eurocup in 2020, ending on the rostrum. It continued the collection, rebranding because the Components Regional European Championship, and completed third in 2021 and 2022. Promoted to FIA Components 3 with Prema for 2023.

Kenzo Craigie

Kenzo Craigie: Class of 2023 – Junior Lineup

Born in 2010 in Epsom, UK, Kenzo is the newest driver to hitch the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Staff’s Junior Program. Success within the cadet karting class noticed Kenzo rise to the very high of the British karting scene.

His breakthrough 12 months got here in 2021, when he gained a ticket for the Rotax Max Grand Finals in Bahrain. This was a stepping stone to finish the total season of the British Karting Championship in 2021 and end in ninth place. In 2022, Kenzo dominated the Cadet class, successful the Final Karting Championship Collection, British Kartmasters (GP Plate), British Karting Championship (O Plate) and ending because the British Karting Championship Vice-Champion.

In 2023, the UK will probably be promoted to Junior class by competing within the Rotax Worldwide and IAME classes.

Yuanpu Cui

Yuanpu Cui: Class of 2023 – Junior Program Lineup

Yuanpu was born in 2008 in Xi’an, China, and joined our Junior Program in 2021 after an pleasurable season of development and growth in go-karts. His father was additionally a racing driver, and Yuanpu first began racing professionally in 2014 with occasions in China. Over the subsequent few seasons, it continued to ship robust outcomes because it expanded its races exterior of China.

In 2020, he completed P2 within the 31° Andrea Margutti Trophy in OK-Junior, secured victories and podiums within the WSK Champions Cup within the 60 Mini, and positioned within the high three within the WSK Tremendous Grasp Collection within the 60 Mini. He stayed at OK-Junior in 2021 and was promoted to OK in 2022, the place he had a number of spectacular outcomes. Yuanpu is OK for 2023.

Luna Fluxa

Luna Fluxa: Class of 2023 – Junior Program Lineup

Luna was born in Spain in 2010 and joined the Junior Program in 2022 after making a splash along with her debut seasons in kart racing. She began racing in 2017 after taking part in ‘programma mujer y motor’, a collection initiated by the Spanish Vehicle Federation to extend feminine participation in motor sports activities.

He then moved up the Spanish karting rankings within the Flame class earlier than shifting on to the bigger WSK and IAME Euro Collection occasions, persistently reaching the finals. In 2021, the Spanish-British racer targeted on the 60 Mini race and gained the IAME Euro Collection within the X30 Mini. He was promoted to OK Junior in 2022 and can stay within the class for 2023 after having a superb 12 months of growth.

Alex Powell

Alex Powell: Class of 2023 – Junior Program Lineup

Born in 2007 in Miami, Florida however a Jamaican nationwide, Alex began his karting profession in 2015. After beginning his profession in karting within the Caribbean and the USA, he stepped onto the European karting scene in 2018 and held varied titles. and wins in subsequent seasons. He joined our Junior Program in 2019.

Alex promoted to OK Junior and Junior ROK in 2020 and remained at OK-Junior the next 12 months, the place he positioned within the high three in varied collection and debuted within the OK class. He was promoted to OK full-time in 2022 and completed second on the FIA ​​Karting European Championship. It would as soon as once more compete within the OK class for 2023.

Frederik Vesti

Frederik Vesti: Class of 2023 – Junior Program Lineup

Born in Vejle, Denmark in 2002, Frederik impressed early in his profession by successful back-to-back Danish Karting Championships within the Cadet Junior and KFJ lessons in 2013 and 2014. He switched to singles seats with a race-winning season in Components Ford Denmark in 2016, earlier than shifting to Denmark and ADAC F4 the next 12 months.

He completed second within the Danish collection and remained in ADAC F4 (completed P4) in 2018 and in addition competed within the Italian F4. The next 12 months he moved on to the Components Regional European Championship and took the title with 13 wins earlier than ending fourth within the 2020 and 2021 FIA Components 3 seasons. Frederik joined our youth group initially of the 2021 season.

Fred superior to Components 2 with the ART Grand Prix final 12 months. In his rookie season, he completed ninth general with one win, pole place and 4 extra podiums. He’ll keep in F2 in 2023 however will change groups from ART to Prema.