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Team Joins Forces with Motorsport Team Germany to Develop Young Driving Talent

1 September 2025
8 Min Read

The team are delighted to announce a new partnership in collaboration with Motorsport Team Germany, which will aim to develop the next generation of German open wheel talent, beginning with karting.

The first step of the collaboration will be a joint selection process for particularly talented German kart drivers aged 10 or 11.

From there, the best talent from this pool will then be selected - through a rigorous screening process – and be promoted in close cooperation between the Team and Motorsport Team Germany.

Toto said: “Mercedes has a long tradition of developing young driving talent, from legendary names of the past to our two current Formula One drivers, George and Kimi, who have been part of our racing family for many years.

“We have built our Young Driver Programme to identify the most promising young talents, and to give the best possible preparation for the demands at the highest levels of the sport.

"We are pleased to now take a structured step with the ADAC Sports Foundation to detect and developing German karting talent, with the aim of identifying a potential star or stars of the future and look forward to working together on this project.”

Motorsport Team Germany's junior development project was founded three years ago by the ADAC Sports Foundation (ADAC Stiftung Sport) in collaboration with the German Motor Sport Federation (Deutscher Motor Sport Bund, DMSB).

Its aim is to discover and nurture young German motorsport talent at an early stage within the transparent, public structures of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (Deutscher Olympischer Sport Bund, DOSB). Sponsored squad athletes will also wear the federal eagle on their outfits.

Chairman of the ADAC Sports Foundation, Wolfgang Dürheimer, said: “We are delighted to be working with Mercedes on this project for very young karting talent, which will set an example for the promotion of youth sport.

“Our goal is to provide new impetus for promoting young German talent and find another German Formula One star. Through this project, we are continuing the tradition of nurturing young talent established by the former German motorsport governing body, the ONS, with Michael Schumacher.

“Financed by Mercedes and other leading partners from the automotive and supplier industries in the 1990s, the project ultimately led to Schumacher joining the Mercedes Junior Team and enjoying an extremely successful Formula One career.”

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