Mercedes Announces Seven Drivers Enrolled On 2022 F1 Junior Programme

Mercedes have announced that seven drivers have been enrolled on their F1 junior programme for the 2022 season. 

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Paul Aron, Yuanpu Cui, Alex Powell and Frederik Vesti have all been retained for the new season, where the quintet will be joined by newcomers – Luna Fluxa and Daniel Guinchard with Fluxa becoming the first female driver enrolled on the programme.

Antonelli and Aron will race for PREMA in F4 and Formula Regional European Championship this season respectively, whilst Vesti will remain with ART GP of whom he raced for in 2021 in F3 but will graduate to F2 this season.

Cui, Powell and Fluxa will stay in karting with the former pair racing in the OK Karting category, whilst Fluxa will step up to the OK Junior-Class category for this season after having won the IAME Euro Series in X30 Mini category in 2021.

Guinchard will step up to single-seater racing as he participates in British F4 with Argenti, in which the series will continue to feature on the support package of British Touring Car weekends this season.

Speaking about the decision to unveil seven drivers for their junior programme this season, Mercedes Team Principal – Toto Wolff is “delighted” to have some familiar faces retained as they look to build on their progress in 2021.

Wolff also has revealed that he can’t wait to see how Fluxa and Guinchard develop and will be monitoring their progress closely.

Mercedes’ Driver Development Advisor, Gwen Lagrue added that this is a “special season” as Fluxa and Guinchard join the junior programme, thereby increasing their presence across majority of racing categories on the road to F1

This season meanwhile will see George Russell become the first graduate of Mercedes’ junior programme to race for Mercedes’ F1 team, as he partners Lewis Hamilton after spending three seasons on loan at Williams developing his skills.

Lagrue though is excited to see how Hamilton’s presence can help the youngsters as he added: “Lewis is one of the greatest sportspeople of all time and is an inspiration to all racing drivers, so it will be a brilliant opportunity for our juniors to get to know and look up to the seven-time F1 champion.”