The Mercedes F1 Junior Programme:
A History

How a call from Gwen changed everything

Gwen had tracked George’s progress since first meeting him at a karting event in England in 2012. Two years later, he helped George – then racing British F4 – into the European-based Renault Eurocup series.

It was the final round of the season at Jerez, in Spain. A track George had never driven at, in a car he had never driven.

A P5 in race one, followed by pole position and a win in race two.

“Boom. This kid is special,” thought Gwen.

So special in fact there were other marques eager for George to put pen to paper.

The call from Gwen came just in the nick of time, with George on the verge of choosing tin-tops over single-seaters, and joining BMW in the DTM.

“He knew I was asking him to join the programme without guarantee of ending up in F1, and turning down a full-time contract with a salary,” explains Gwen.

“I obviously found the right words to convince him!”

“I was in the bath when I got the call from Gwen. I went to check my phone, saw he was ringing and thought ‘I should pick this up,’” recalls George.

“I remember trying to stay as still as possible, I did not want him hearing the water splashing around in the background.”

Perhaps there was something in the water that day, as Gwen had done enough to steer George’s mind back towards single-seaters.

Consecutive titles in GP3 and Formula 2 would follow and just over two seasons later, George was lining up on the grid in Melbourne as a Formula 1 driver for Williams.

“I don’t think he regrets the decision he took that day one bit,” says Gwen.

“He’s someone I rate very highly as a driver but also as a person and I will be always there to help him racing-wise but also on a personal side.”

When George claimed his maiden F1 victory – in doing so becoming the first driver to come through the programme and win a Grand Prix for the works Mercedes team – he knew who to thank.

“On the in-lap all of these memories sort of came flooding back.

"Starting off with my mum and dad in go karting and going through all the support I have had from the rest of my family, my girlfriend, my trainer, my manager.

“Then obviously the likes of Gwen who gave me the opportunity to get on the programme with Mercedes.”

It’s only now when he pauses to reflect that George appreciates what the programme did for him.

“That call from Gwen felt like the start of my journey to Formula 1."

“The biggest thing I take away from the programme is how it gave me a chance to perform and fulfil my potential, as opposed to just throwing me in at the deep end.

“I probably didn’t recognise how important that was at the time, between all the days of testing, integrating myself with the team, understanding what’s required as a Formula One driver when you’re talking with the engineers, when you’re talking with the media. That was so key.”

Further proof, that this is not just about the racing. And that is a philosophy that starts from day one.

From Karting to F1 in Four Years

F1’s newest number 12 was just 12 years of age when he first put pen to paper.

Having come from a racing family, it was fitting that his father Marco - who has his own sportscar team – was there when call came from Toto.

“We were in the car when Toto rang and asked me to join the academy,” recalls Kimi

“To share such a cool moment with my Dad is something I will remember forever.”

That was 2018. A year after his first meeting with Gwen at the Adria circuit in Italy.

In the first year of observation, Kimi’s results did not set the world on fire.

“He was P3, P4, P5,” says Gwen. “But you could see what he was achieving with the equipment he had compared to the others.

“In the second season – he was mega – he destroyed the field. That is when we signed him.

“Since then he has ticked all the boxes we have been looking for.”

Multiple karting trophies made their way to the mantelpiece before Kimi first stepped into a single-seater in 2021.

Four titles in two seasons across F4 (Italian and German) and FRECA (Middle East and Europe) followed, before Kimi jumped up to Formula 2 for 2024.

Two wins – making him the youngest in series history to claim multiple victories – and a series of impressive showings were enough to give Kimi a seat in W16 for 2025.

But having a junior reach F1 doesn’t mean job done as far as Gwen is concerned.

“It’s just the beginning of the story,” he says.

“He is just starting in F1 and has everything to prove.

“Bringing a kid into Formula 1 is not the target, it is just a step. We are here to win championships – which I want to achieve with both George and Kimi.”

Kimi’s progression on the track is clear for all to see. From the kart track to the F1 garage in just over four years.

It is the growth off it that only Kimi and those around him have seen and can appreciate.

“I got the full support in every way, outside the track as well as inside. I have developed so much as a person, learning how to work in an environment with older people and how to relate to them as well,” says Kimi.

“It is not just the racing; it is you as a human being. I got support in both ways, outside the track, on the track, especially in the difficult moments, they have always been there trying to make me feel better and also to help me to improve.

“Of course, in some moments they have been tough, but it is how it is and how it should be because obviously you want to push yourself even further. They have always been super supportive.”

“The programme has helped me in every aspect. I used to be quite shy, I remember being so shy when I first saw the factory, but that has changed now.

“Last year I did my first talk in front of the factory, but I found it really cool, because everyone was helpful in helping me overcome my nerves.

“Meeting everyone was so cool, seeing the hard work behind the scenes during the day and the night and appreciating what it takes to get those two cars ready at the end.”