Mercedes has officially announced that George Russell and Kimi Antonelli will continue as the team’s main drivers for the 2026 Formula 1 season. The 27-year-old Briton is entering his fifth season with the team, while the Italian, just 19 years old, returns for a second year.
The British George Russell and the Italian Kimi Antonelli will remain as official Mercedes drivers in the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship, the team announced today, in .
“Confirming our pairing was just a matter of when, not if. We wanted to take our time, conduct the negotiations correctly and make sure everyone was happy. I’m glad we did. George and Kimi have proven themselves to be a strong pairing and we are excited to continue our journey together,” said team director Toto Wolff.
Without providing details about the contracts, Mercedes only revealed that the two pilots will continue in 2026with Russell, 27, heading into his fifth season with the team, while Antonelli, 19, is making his way debut seasona.
At this point, Russell, who has already won two races this seasonthe last in Singapore, at the beginning of October, occupies the fourth place in the Driver’s World Championshipswith 237 points, 99 behind the leader, Australian Óscar Piastri (McLaren), while Antonelli is seventhwith 88, with the best result being third place in Canada.
A Mercedes occupies second place in the Constructors’ World Championshipwith 325 points, half of McLaren’s 650, which has already become champion, and 27 more than Ferrari and 35 more than Red Bull.
