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George Russell and Kimi Antonelli staying with Mercedes F1 team in 2026
Mercedes confirmed George Russell and rookie Kimi Antonelli as their 2026 drivers after Max Verstappen stayed at Red Bull, securing a strong lineup for upcoming regulation changes.
- On Wednesday, Mercedes confirmed George Russell and Kimi Antonelli will stay with the team in 2026 after a drawn-out contract renewal process.
- After summer speculation, Mercedes explored options with Max Verstappen, while George Russell said finer contract details delayed confirmation and admitted Mercedes "holds all the cards", putting him "at risk".
- Russell has notched two wins in 2025 and sits fourth with six races left, while 19-year-old Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli took Miami sprint pole and a Canada podium but faced pressure this year.
- Mercedes is now positioned to capitalise on next year's 2026 regulation changes, with Toto Wolff saying confirming the line‑up was 'when, not if' and praising Russell and Antonelli.
- Russell, who first signed with Mercedes in 2017, has a long partnership with the team, while Antonelli joined as a rookie after Lewis Hamilton moved to Ferrari at the end of 2024.
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79 Articles
79 Articles
The British team confirmed that George Russell and Kimi Antonelli will be at Mercedes for the 2026 season.
·Paris, France
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George Russell and Kimi Antonelli will be driving for Mercedes again next season, after the German team finally renewed their contracts.
·Montreal, Canada
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"The confirmation of our driver pairing was always only a matter of time, not of the Ob: Team manager Toto Wolff says this to the two drivers of the Mercedes racing stable in the next Formula 1 season.
·Frankfurt, Germany
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources79
Leaning Left12Leaning Right7Center11Last UpdatedBias Distribution40% Left
Bias Distribution
- 40% of the sources lean Left
40% Left
L 40%
C 37%
R 23%
Factuality
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