Photo: Chris Walker
Karter Kenzo Craigie has been added to the Mercedes-AMG Formula 1 junior team for 2023 as he steps up to junior karting.
The 12-year-old has been competing in cadet and micro karts for the past three years and had a season of success in 2022.
After coming 24th in the British championship in 2020 and then ninth in 2021, he was runner-up in the Honda Cadet class last year and was champion on the same machinery in the Ultimate Karting Championship.
Craigie also won the British Kartmasters Grand Prix, having come fourth in the event in 2021. He ended that year by finishing 34th in the Rotax Grand Finals’ Rotax Micro class.
“I’m excited to announce that I have been selected to join the Mercedes-AMG F1 team on their junior driver programme, driving for Argenti Motorsport in both the UK and international karting series,” said Craigie.
“Joining the Mercedes-AMG F1 team as one of their junior drivers is a dream come true. I’m looking forward to seeing what Argenti and I can achieve together and would like to thank everyone who’s helped make this opportunity possible.”
Craigie is one of seven juniors the F1 team has on its books for this year, with Formula 2 racer Frederik Vesti, Formula 3 rookie Paul Aron, Formula Regional Middle East champion Andrea Kimi Antonelli and karters Yuanpu Cui, Luna Fluxa and Alex Powell all being retained.
British Formula 4 racer Daniel Guinchard was revealed as being dropped by Mercedes late in 2022 after less than a single year in its young driver programme.