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Less than a year after the shocking loss of Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari, Mercedes has chosen continuity for its Formula One driver lineup.
The German constructor announced Wednesday that it has extended George Russell and Kimi Antonelli through at least 2026. The financial terms of the deal are unclear, though The Athletic reported that Russell’s deal is a multiyear extension that should keep him in Mercedes for the long term.
That, however, is no certainty given the flexibility often included in F1 driver contracts. Russell acknowledged it himself in April.
“[Drivers] all got performance clauses, so a driver who is on a three-year contract, [it] doesn’t really mean anything if they’ve got an exit clause, or the team has an exit clause if the driver doesn’t perform,” said Russell, who was awarded a Mercedes F1 seat in 2021.
The extensions also come months after the team was linked to Red Bull driver and four-time world champion Max Verstappen, who is under contract until 2028, after Mercedes principal Toto Wolff admitted interest in the Dutch driver. Russell, who has had public clashes with Verstappen in recent years, said it was “normal” for his team to have conversations with other drivers, particularly a world champion.
Mercedes sits in second in the constructors’ championship, though McLaren already secured the title at the Singapore Grand Prix earlier this month.
Four Seats Remain
With Russell and 19-year-old Kimi Antonelli settled in Mercedes, four seats remain available on the grid for the 2026 season, with six races left on the calendar.
Three of the four seats are with Red Bull: one on the lead Red Bull team alongside Verstappen, and two on the Racing Bulls, the junior team. Red Bull has had issues all year with its drivers after Liam Lawson replaced Sergio Pérez on the top squad to open the 2025 season, only to be replaced by Yuki Tsunoda after just two races.
Tsunoda hasn’t exactly performed up to par, and he is behind both Racing Bulls drivers in the standings.
The other open seat is at Alpine beside Pierre Gasly. It’s currently held by Franco Colapinto, who has yet to score points this season.
U.S. GP Extension Coming
Mercedes’s announcement comes just days away from the United States Grand Prix, the second of three races on American soil. The competition, which takes place at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, is the longest-running U.S. race of the three—and is expected to continue running until the next decade.
According to the Austin Business Journal, public documents from Travis County show that F1 has struck a deal to keep the race in Austin from 2027 to 2034.
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