Mercedes announces juniors for 2022: 'We welcome them into our family'

Mercedes has announced the seven drivers who will be part of its junior program in 2022. The young talents include Frederik Vesti and Luna Fluxa. The latter is the first female driver to be admitted to the program.

This makes Fluxa the newest addition to Mercedes. The 11-year-old Spanish will compete in the karting OK Junior class in 2022, after finishing first in the IAME Euro Series X30 Mini in 2021. Vesti makes the switch from Formula 3 to Formula 2, where he will race for ART Grand Prix.

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff says he is extremely proud of his juniors. "It’s going to be a really exciting year for our junior drivers, and we’re delighted to welcome them to our W13 launch on Friday as part of our motorsport family," explains the Austrian on the official website of the team.

George Russell 's move makes him the first junior driver to make it to Mercedes' Formula 1 team. Apart from the already mentioned juniors who hope to follow in his footsteps, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Paul Aron, Yuanpu Cui and Daniel Guinchard are also part of the program.