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Formula One team Mercedes said on Saturday it has signed 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli to replace Lewis Hamilton next year.
Italian driver Antonelli, who has won a sprint race and a race this year for Prema Racing, will join George Russell at Mercedes, while Hamilton will move to Ferrari.
Antonelli said qualifying was a dream come true and thanked the Mercedes team for their support and trust in him.
“Making it to Formula One has been a dream of mine since I was a kid… I’m still learning a lot, but I’m ready for this opportunity,” he said in a statement.
“I’m also excited to be teammates with George. He came through the youth program like me and I have great respect for him… I’m looking forward to learning from him and working together to achieve our goals.”
Russell said he was excited to work with Antonelli.
“I know how much support Lewis has given me during my time as a young driver and since becoming his team-mate. I have learned a lot from him and I hope to play a similar role for Kimi,” he said.
Mercedes F1 team principal Toto Wolff said Russell and Antonelli were the perfect line-up for the team to start a new chapter.
“Kimi has consistently shown the talent and speed required to compete at the top level of our sport,” he said.
“We knew it would be another huge step forward, but he impressed us in F1 testing this year… George is an experienced teammate who he can learn from and hone his skills.”
Prior to the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, Russell was eighth in the standings, with Hamilton sixth.
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