Mercedes F1 retain Russell and Antonelli for 2026

The Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team has announced they’ll take an unchanged driver lineup into the 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship, with George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli retained for what will be a pivotal year for the sport.

With smaller cars, changes to power units and aerodynamics, reduced downforce and other changes coming into effect next year, plus the arrival of new teams, the works Mercedes squad have chosen to continue with their current pairing.

“Confirming our driver line-up was always a matter of when, not if,” CEO and Team Principal, Toto Wolff explained. “We wanted to take our time, handle the negotiations properly and make sure everyone, on all sides, was happy. I'm pleased we have done that.

George and Kimi have proved a strong pairing and we're excited to continue our journey together, onwards to 2026 and a new era in F1.”

For 27-year-old Russell, the 2026 season will be his eighth in F1 and fifth with Mercedes, having moved from Williams after the 2021 season. Russell’s five race wins to date have all been achieved with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team. Antonelli made his full-time F1 debut this year, with the highlight (at time of writing) being a third-place finish at the Canadian Grand Prix.

Both Russell and Antonelli are students of Mercedes’s junior system, graduating in 2017 and 2019, respectively. Both also won championships in junior open wheel categories before joining F1.

“I am really proud to be continuing our journey together,” Russell said. “It has been such a long and successful partnership with the team so far and I can’t wait to see what lies ahead, particularly as we embark on one of the largest regulation changes in the sport’s history next year.”

Antonelli said he was “super excited” to be continuing with the team, adding that his rookie year has been a great learning experience.

“I’ve learnt so much in my first season in F1, both in the good moments and the more challenging ones,” Antonelli said. “Those have all made me stronger, not only as a driver but as a team-mate, too.