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Mercedes sign world champion after new British wonderkid matched Lando Norris

Mercedes has reportedly secured the services of 16-year-old Ethan Jeff-Hall for their junior team, starting in the 2025 season. The rising star follows in the footsteps of Lando Norris, who became a world karting champion in 2014. Jeff-Hall, who triumphed in the 2024 CIK-FIA World Karting Championship, clinched the prestigious title on the final lap of the season’s last race, cementing his status in motorsport history. He joined an elite list of former champions, including Nyck de Vries and Vitantonio Liuzzi, who have since moved on to the Formula 1 grid.

According to a report from Formula Scout, Jeff-Hall will join Mercedes’ junior programme and take his first step into single-seaters, racing in the British Formula Four championship with Argenti Motorsport for the 2025 season. His progression was confirmed late in 2024, marking the start of a new chapter in his racing career. Jeff-Hall expressed his excitement for the upcoming challenge, acknowledging that his achievements in karting, including the Ginetta Juniors title and the World Karting Championship, had honed his skills in consistency, adaptability, and pressure management. Despite recognizing that British F4 represents a significant step up, he believes that his experience will help him adjust quickly to the cars and the competition. He’s eager to learn, challenge himself, and achieve strong results from the outset.

Jeff-Hall will be joining a highly talented group within the Mercedes junior programme for 2025. Alongside him is Kenzo Craigie, who won the junior world karting title in 2024 and is continuing his development in the academy, as well as runner-up James Anagnostiadis. Luna Fluxa, a young female prodigy, is also part of the team’s 2025 line-up. In the Formula Four category, Alex Powell, who has been with Mercedes since 2019, will continue to represent the team, as will Chinese talent Yuanpu Cui, who raced with Argenti Motorsport the previous year.

Mercedes also has a rising star in the F1 Academy, with Doriane Pin aiming for the title in 2025 after finishing as a runner-up to Abbi Pulling in 2024. The team has consistently shown its commitment to nurturing young talent, as demonstrated by the careers of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, both of whom graduated through the Mercedes junior ranks and now race in F1. This continued focus on developing young drivers suggests that Jeff-Hall could eventually have the opportunity to represent Mercedes on the Formula 1 grid in the future.

With the support of a world-class development program, Jeff-Hall has a promising future ahead, and Mercedes’ investment in his growth highlights the team’s long-term vision of developing the next generation of F1 talent.