Mercedes had hoped to lure Max Verstappen away from Red Bull but now looks set to extend the contracts of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli for the 2026 season and beyond
Kimi Antonelli insists he has “never” been worried about his Formula 1 future despite hitting a rough patch in his debut season. The teenager was fast-tracked into the sport by Mercedes and made a strong start, but has endured a nightmare European leg of the campaign up to now.
The 18-year-old has scored points in just one of the last seven races, and the only one of them which was not held in Europe. Even more curiously, that one outlier was his best result in F1 to date, his first podium secured by finishing third at the Canadian Grand Prix in June.
But a combination of mechanical unreliability and struggles to get the best out of a Mercedes car which has regressed with its updates has made life tough for Antonelli. And the young Italian has also admitted that he is suffering from a crisis of confidence as a result.
Antonelli, like team-mate George Russell, is out of contract at the end of this year as it stands. It has been understood for some time, though, that an extension is a mere formality as the Silver Arrows view their young racer as a superstar of the future.
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And the young man himself gives the air of someone who, despite this rough period, has been completely reassured by team principal Toto Wolff about his place with the team and in the sport. “I’ve never been worried, to be honest. I know the situation, I know what the team wants, especially looking at the future,” he said.
“So I think also Toto has been clear recently, so that’s obviously good to see. But, I think the team is working well. The line-up is good. Me and George are working well together, and we are trying to work together also as a team to find performance.
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“So, I think we’re doing a pretty good job. And also there’s a really good atmosphere in the team. It’s always nice to go back to the factory and see how much the team is pushing, not only for this year, but also ahead of next year.
“So, this means above that there’s a good dynamic in the team. And yeah, but I’m sure the team knows what’s the best for us, especially next year.”
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Russell is also closing in on a new deal, after months of his future being in some doubt. The Brit has starred this year but was still the most likely Mercedes driver of the two to be shown the door if the Silver Arrows had managed to convince Max Verstappen to join them for 2026, which the Dutchman has now confirmed is not going to happen.
Not only is he set to secure his future, but Russell is also about to become one of the highest-paid drivers on the F1 grid. It has been reported that he is likely to earn £30million per year after penning fresh terms, far more than the £20m title contenders Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri each earn at McLaren, but still significantly less than the £50m and more each pulled in by Red Bull talisman Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari.