Mercedes has confirmed that George Russell and Kimi Antonelli will remain as their drivers for the 2026 Formula One season. This announcement follows speculation
about their futures, with Mercedes previously linked to Max Verstappen. However, Verstappen will stay with Red Bull until the end of next season. The decision was finalised before the United States Grand Prix, with Russell eager to build on his recent success in Singapore.
Russell, a 27-year-old Briton, has achieved seven pole positions, 23 podium finishes, and one sprint victory in his seven years in Formula One. Eight of these podiums were secured in 2025. If he achieves another podium in the remaining six races, it will surpass his previous best of eight podiums in 2022. "I am really proud to be continuing our journey together," said Russell. "Next year will mark my 10th since I signed with Mercedes back in 2017. "
Antonelli's first season in F1 has been challenging as he hasn't finished higher than Russell in any of the 18 races this year. Despite this, he took pole position at the Miami sprint race and became the third-youngest driver to secure a podium finish in Canada. His performance during the European leg raised questions about his future at Mercedes.
The Italian driver faced criticism from team principal Toto Wolff after an underwhelming performance at the Italian Grand Prix. However, Antonelli responded positively with fourth and fifth-place finishes in Azerbaijan and Singapore respectively. "I'm super excited to be continuing with the team," Antonelli stated.
Russell expressed excitement about continuing with Mercedes amid significant regulation changes next year. He emphasised the team's focus on making these changes successful while building on what he describes as his strongest F1 season yet. "We are all incredibly focused on making that a success," Russell added.
Antonelli acknowledged learning valuable lessons during his debut season, both from successes and challenges. He thanked Toto Wolff and everyone at Brackley and Brixworth for their support. "Our focus now is to finish this year strongly and secure second in the Constructors' Championship," Antonelli said.
It's official We are delighted to confirm that George Russell and Kimi Antonelli will continue as the teams driver line-up into 2026 Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) October 15, 2025
As they prepare for upcoming races, both drivers aim to finish strong this season before shifting focus entirely to 2026. With six races left, there is still much for them to achieve as they strive for excellence on track.
