Mercedes driver absent in lineup confirmation

Mercedes have revealed an absence for one of their drivers in a lineup reveal of their talent roster for the new season.

The 2025 Formula 1 season kicks off at the Australian Grand Prix this weekend where former Mercedes man Lewis Hamilton will make his competitive debut in red after leaving the Silver Arrows following his final season in 2024.

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Toto Wolff's F1 outfit will also debut a new driver in Hamilton's place, with young Italian star Kimi Antonelli stepping into the seat of the seven-time champion to partner three-time grand prix winner George Russell for 2025.

Antonelli has been catapulted up the ranks since joining the Mercedes junior programme in 2019, skipping F3 entirely to compete in his first F2 season last year, before being promoted instantly to F1 after Hamilton's shock exit.

Mercedes boasts a whole host of talent in their junior driver programme which is home to stars including 2024 karting champion Kenzo Craigie, who was welcomed to the team by Hamilton last year, and F1 Academy star Doriane Pin.

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Mercedes shoutout Doriane Pin in driver lineup announcement

It isn't just the stars of F1 who are ramping up preparations for an exciting year ahead, Mercedes' strong junior squad will also all be gearing up for their respective championship challenges in 2025.

One such star is Pin, who finished as runner-up in the 2024 F1 Academy championship to British star Abbi Pulling, who has now secured a seat to race in the GB3 championship.

Pin could be the favourite to steal the crown this year after finishing 121 points behind Pulling in 2024, and the 21-year-old will no doubt be hoping to harness her experience over the rest of the all-female field.

Ahead of the F1 Academy season opener in Shanghai in just over a week, Mercedes took to Instagram to show off their junior drivers, but Pin was absent from the lineup.

Addressing her absence, the Mercedes social post was captioned: "Junior Squad. Great to have almost all of our 2025 Junior Programme with us in Brackley this week.

"We missed you @DorianePin."

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A post shared by Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@mercedesamgf1)

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