Mercedes To Continue With Russell And Antonelli

Mercedes will proceed pinch George Russell and Kimi Antonelli arsenic their drivers successful Formula 1 successful 2026, squad main Toto Wolff has said.

Wolff efficaciously confirmed nan line-up aft nan Dutch Grand Prix, though Russell's statement is still not finalised.

Wolff said: "I ever opportunity there's not going to beryllium immoderate large news because we're doing this. We're continuing pinch some of them, of course.

"With George there's a fewer things wherever we want to optimise immoderate of nan travelling and nan trading days, really galore hours we're putting in. He's an knowledgeable driver and for america it's ever important to talk astir it."

There had been small uncertainty that Mercedes would clasp some drivers aft Max Verstappen confirmed astatine nan Hungarian Grand Prix successful early August that he was staying astatine Red Bull.

Mercedes were willing successful Verstappen and had been putting disconnected talks pinch Briton Russell until they knew for definite that nan four-time world champion was not available.

It remains to beryllium seen really agelong Russell's statement will be, and Wolff said that nan squad were reconsidering what they asked of their drivers disconnected track.

"We want to person nan champion capacity of nan drivers and I deliberation we've fixed some of them rather a strain pinch trading activities and media activities and this is really we're recalibrating," he said.

He added that he did not expect location to beryllium an imminent general connection of their 2026 driver line-up.

"Is location going to beryllium an announcement (this coming weekend) successful Monza? No," Wolff said. "But I don't deliberation it's going to beryllium moreover a large announcement. It's conscionable going to springiness you nan heads up and opportunity we've put a signature connected nan agreement."

Russell had already said astatine nan commencement of nan Dutch play that location was nary uncertainty he would beryllium staying astatine Mercedes.

He said: "We wanted to return nan summertime disconnected to relax and reset, but positively moving successful nan correct direction. But I deliberation arsenic location is nary clip unit from nan squad broadside and nary clip unit from our side, we're conscionable ensuring it's done properly."

Rookie Antonelli had different difficult play astatine Zandvoort, earning a punishment for crashing retired of nan title pinch Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. He vanished 16th aft being fixed an further punishment for speeding successful nan pit lane.

But Wolff said he had nary uncertainty astir nan 19-year-old Italian's potential.

"When we gave him nan opportunity, it was besides saying that we would springiness him a twelvemonth of learning, and location would beryllium moments wherever we'd tear our hairsbreadth out, and location would beryllium different moments of brilliance. And I deliberation this play beautiful overmuch sums that up," Wolff said.

"My 100% belief is successful him successful nan agelong word and that is conscionable portion of nan learning."