(Photo credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images)

In a push to build energy for the 2025 season, Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff has announced an 'exciting new era' ahead with preseason testing beginning Monday in Bahrain.

With Lewis Hamilton having departed to Ferrari, George Russell will now partner with teenage rookie Kimi Antonelli as the team looks to improve on a fourth-place finish in the 2024 constructor standings behind third-place Red Bull, runner-up Ferrari and champion McLaren.

The top four teams were far and away ahead of the 10-team field, with Mercedes holding nearly five times the points on fifth-place Aston Martin.

'We are building on the incredible legacy of our heritage, and we can't wait to go racing,' Wolff said. 'Everyone at the team ... has been hard at work over the winter. Last season was incredibly competitive on the track and, whilst we took several wins, we are all focused on challenging for victories more consistently.'

Russell won at Austria in late June as well as at Las Vegas in November. Hamilton followed Russell's victory at Austria with one at Great Britain in early July. Hamilton won again at Belguim two races later.

Now, the 18-year-old Italy native Antonelli takes over Hamilton's seat. Antonelli has been on the Mercedes Junior Team since 2019.

'Kimi has all the necessary talent to achieve great things at the pinnacle of the sport, but this is a rookie season and there will inevitably be ups and downs,' Wolff said. 'We're looking forward to that journey together, though, and helping him develop over the course of the year.'

The 2025 Formula 1 season begins March 16 at Melbourne, Australia. Stops in North America include May 4 at Miami, June 15 at Montreal, Oct. 19 at Austin, Texas, Oct. 26 at Mexico City and Nov. 22 at Las Vegas.

--Field Level Media