Mercedes explains delay to 2026 F1 driver contracts

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has explained he needs to sort out the finer details of George Russell’s 2026 Formula 1 contract before making next year’s line-up official.

Wolff has always insisted he wanted to keep both Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli next season, though a layer of doubt lingered until Max Verstappen became contractually unavailable in late July due to a performance clause in his current Red Bull deal.

Although nothing obvious is now preventing new deals for the 27-year-old and his rookie team-mate, Wolff has explained: “With George, there’s a few things where we want to optimise, some of the travelling and the marketing days. He’s an experienced driver, and for us, it’s always important to talk about it.

“We want to have the best performance of the drivers, and I think we’ve given both of them quite a strain with marketing activities and media activities, and this is how we’re recalibrating.”

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Toto Wolff, Team Principal and CEO, Mercedes-AMG

Photo by: Mercedes-Benz

Russell had previously stated that he wasn’t going to sign a new deal during the summer break because his priority was to “have a rest and recharge” over that period.

Regardless of the current negotiations, Wolff reiterated his belief that the Russell/Antonelli line-up is the right one for Mercedes, and insisted there was no need for a full-blown announcement.

“I always say there’s not going to be any big news, because we’re doing this. We’re continuing with both of them, of course,” the Austrian said.

“Is there going to be an announcement in Monza? No, but I don’t think it’s going to be even a big announcement, we’re just going to give you the heads-up and say we’ve put a signature onto the agreement.”

Mercedes currently lies third in the constructors’ standings, just 12 points behind Ferrari and 34 points ahead of Red Bull, with Russell contributing 74% of the team’s tally.

Antonelli has been struggling of late, with just one point over the last five rounds, but both Russell and Wolff have defended the 19-year-old’s performance.