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The Mercedes team, competing in the Formula 1 world championship, said on Saturday it had signed 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli to replace Lewis Hamilton at the team next year.

Italian Antonelli, who has won two races with the Prema Racing team in Formula 2 this year, will join George Russell at Mercedes as Hamilton moves to Ferrari.

Antonelli confirmed that joining Mercedes was a dream, and thanked the team for their support and faith in him.

“Competing in Formula 1 is something I’ve dreamed about since I was a child. I’m still learning a lot, but I think I’m ready for this opportunity,” he said in a statement.

He added, “I am very excited to be George’s teammate. He has come up through the team’s youth program just like me and is someone I have a lot of respect for. I look forward to learning from him and working with him to achieve success.”

Russell said he was excited to pair up with Antonelli.

He added in a statement, “I know how much support Lewis (Hamilton) gave me as a rookie driver and then after I became his teammate. I learned a lot from him and I hope to play a similar role with Kimi.”

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said Russell and Antonelli represent the ideal partnership to start a new chapter in the team’s journey.

“Kimi has consistently demonstrated the talent and speed needed to compete at the top of our game.

He continued, “We know it will be a big step forward, but he has impressed us in the Formula 1 tests he has participated in this year.”

He emphasized that “George will be an experienced colleague from whom he can learn and develop his skills.”

At the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, Russell was eighth overall, Hamilton sixth.