End of suspense at Mercedes! Briton George Russell and Italian Andrea Kimi Antonelli will still drive the two Silver Arrows on the Formula 1 grid in 2026, the German team announced on Wednesday.
Even if there was little doubt about the confirmation of the driver duo, the absence of formalization had generated rumors in the paddock and in particular that of the possible arrival of the quadruple reigning Dutch world champion Max Verstappen (Red Bull), who had however denied several times.
Russell (27), who is playing his fourth season at Mercedes after playing for three years at Williams, was in a strong position in the negotiations thanks to his very solid performances this year. Despite McLaren’s clear domination, he has won two pole positions and two victories, and is in fourth place in the championship.
“I can’t wait to see what the future holds.”
Promoted to team leader this year after the departure of seven-time British world champion Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari, Russell fought to obtain a salary increase, which delayed the extension of his contract.
“I am really proud to continue our common journey. It has been a successful long partnership with the team so far and I look forward to seeing what the future holds, particularly as we prepare to experience one of the biggest regulation changes in F1 history,” said Russell.
The cards could in fact be completely reshuffled in 2026 with the arrival on the grid of very different single-seaters: lighter, the cars will be equipped with a half-electric hybrid engine.
During the last major change in regulations in 2014, Mercedes was able to do well and won seven consecutive world titles among drivers (2014 to 2020) and eight among manufacturers (2014 to 2021).
The almost complete grid
The German team also confirmed on Wednesday the extension of the contract of Italian rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The 19-year-old prodigy, currently seventh in the championship, already has a podium and a pole position in a sprint race for his first year in the premier category of motorsport.
“I’m super excited to continue with the team. I learned so much during my first season in F1, both in the good times and in the difficult times. All this made me stronger, not only as a driver, but also as a teammate,” underlined the Transalpine driver.
After this announcement, the grid for 2026 is almost complete. A seat remains to be filled at Alpine alongside Frenchman Pierre Gasly, while Red Bull must determine who will play with Verstappen next year.
The Frenchman Isack Hadjar (21 years old) seems to be holding the rope after a very good season with Racing Bulls, who will announce their driver duo once Red Bull has made their choice.
