The ‘myriad reasons’ behind Mercedes’ delayed reveal of F1 2026 drivers

Mercedes is yet to confirm its driver line-up for the F1 2026 season, although the indications are that George Russell and Kimi Antonelli will continue.

The chances of a change to the Brackley-based squad’s driver line-up for next season have all but disappeared following Max Verstappen’s confirmation that he will remain with Red Bull for F1 2026.

George Russell and Kimi Antonelli have Mercedes ‘full confidence’

Much of the driver market chatter in recent months has focused on Mercedes’ driver line-up, due to uncertainty over the future of four-time F1 World Champion Max Verstappen.

The Dutch driver’s relationship with Red Bull appeared to have faded in strength over the past 12 months as the Milton Keynes-based squad’s car became less competitive, and Verstappen has been strongly linked with a switch to another team – Aston Martin and, later, Mercedes being the most likely destinations.

While it’s understood Verstappen’s camp did explore its options with Mercedes for 2026, the Dutch driver has committed to remaining with his current team for the first season of the new regulation cycle, thus giving him a chance to evaluate how each team and engine manufacturer responds to the upcoming regulation changes.

The uncertainty over Verstappen meant that neither George Russell nor Kimi Antonelli’s future with Brackley has been clarified as of yet, although it’s thought that an announcement confirming their renewal is imminent.

The Hungarian GP weekend was a final weekend opportunity to wrap up the story before the summer shutdown, but Mercedes is still yet to confirm for certain that its two drivers will remain in their seats for 2026.

With much of the furore surrounding the link between Verstappen and Mercedes coming as a result of a reveal by Russell himself, Mercedes‘ team boss Toto Wolff has hinted the British driver is now in a secure position and continued to re-iterate the position that the intent is for Mercedes to continue with its current drivers.

“As a driver, he is so mature and stable that I don’t think it makes any difference to his performance,” Wolff told Sky Sports F1 during the Hungarian Grand Prix.

“On the contrary, I would have wished to have him in a safe place a little bit earlier, but we haven’t managed to do that.

“But I am optimistic that he is going to sleep well over the summer break.”

Given the indications that Russell and Antonelli will remain for next season, why hasn’t there yet been a contract extension confirmed?

“The fact that we haven’t yet announced what we’re doing in 2026, there can be myriad reasons for that,” Mercedes’ team representative Bradley Lord explained to select media, including PlanetF1.com, in Budapest.

“Our full confidence, our full intention is exactly that [continuing with Russell and Antonelli] for 2026, as Toto has said many times.

“At some point in the future, there will be an announcement, a confirmation of what we’re doing in 2026.”

It’s thought that negotiations between Russell and Mercedes over small minutiae in his contract have contributed to the hold-up in confirming his future and it’s in these finer details rather than an inability to reach a mutual agreement – whether that be durational or financial – that a firm resolution is yet to be made public.

It’s also suspected that Antonelli will be revealed as Mercedes exercising its option on him for 2026, rather than being a re-negotiated contract in its own right.

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Both Russell and Antonelli, as products of Mercedes’ driver development programme and under the management of the team, hold fewer cards than Mercedes when it comes to negotiations, with Russell explaining in Hungary that he’s had little reason to worry about being kept on for next season due to the high level of his performances as he occupies fourth overall in the Drivers’ Championship.

“I’ve waited so long, and I think now I want to get through this weekend,” he said on Thursday in Budapest.

“I want to go on a holiday next week and enjoy the break. And there is no time pressure my side.

“There is no time pressure from the team’s side. So whenever we come to an agreement, we’ll get it done. But it’s got to be right both ways.”

If not for the prospect of luring Verstappen away from Red Bull, it’s quite likely Mercedes would have already confirmed Russell and Antonelli, with no other obvious upgrades available on the market.
Not exploring the option of Verstappen would have been remiss of any team boss, as Lord opined.

“Toto has talked about exploring what the medium to long-term picture is,” he said.

“That’s the obligation of any team boss and any team management to do so.”

But, with a factory shutdown looming, might Mercedes confirm Russell and Antonelli before the summer break properly kicks in?

“I think there’s no fixed timeline on anything,” Lord said, “because a timeline just creates a barrage of questions if that is or isn’t here, and these things are, by their nature, not bound by hard deadlines and things like that.

“But you can take Toto’s words at face value, and I probably don’t need to add anything to them.”

While Verstappen’s potential interest in Mercedes has led to a hold-up in clarification on the team’s line-up, the likelihood is that one driver – most likely Antonelli – will be easily parted with after 2026, in order to give Mercedes a chance to ensure an easy welcome for Verstappen is possible for ’27, if the desire is there from either side.

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