The 2025 F1 season was about to begin, and with it, an event that would mark the history of the sport: George Russell and his son, Kimi Russell, would share a team at Mercedes. Never before had a father and son raced together in the same team at the highest level, and the expectation was enormous.

Kimi was born in 2007, the same year that Hamilton made his debut in Formula 1. From a young age, he grew up in the paddock, surrounded by the roaring engines and the excitement of motorsport. George, still young at the time, dreamed of reaching Mercedes, and when he finally made it, Kimi was only five years old. Since then, his life has been linked to the Silver Arrows.

Raised among engineers, simulators and legendary drivers, Kimi became a karting prodigy. At 16, he made his debut in Formula 3, where he surprised the world with his natural talent and a maturity on the track that many compared to that of his father. His rise was meteoric: F3 in 2023, F2 in 2024 and, at just 18, a seat in F1 in 2025.

But the most striking thing was not his youth, but his destiny: to race alongside his father at Mercedes.

Kimi was not just “Russell’s son”; he was a driver in his own right. From the first test, he demonstrated impressive speed, with a driving style that mixed the aggressiveness of the youngest with the precision inherited from his father.

The media exploded:“Can Kimi live up to George?“,“Can Mercedes handle the tension between two generations in the same team? He was at his best. With five career wins under his belt and consolidated as team leader after Hamilton's departure, his mission was clear: to take Mercedes back to the top.”

Toto, aware of the challenge, made the rules clear: “On track, there are no fathers and sons. Only teammates and rivals.”

When the first Grand Prix arrived in Australia, the tension was palpable. Kimi put on his silver helmet with blue and black details, similar to his father's, but with his own personal stamp: the number 99, a tribute to the great rookies of history.