With the summer break now here, Mercedes have some bold decisions to make surrounding their driver lineup for next season.
The Brackley-based team, who currently sit third in the constructors’ championship, have yet to confirm who will be in either seat for the 2026 season.
| Position | Constructors' Standings | Points |
| 1 | McLaren Racing | 559 |
| 2 | Scuderia Ferrari | 260 |
| 3 | Mercedes-AMG Petronas | 236 |
| 4 | Red Bull Racing | 194 |
Both George Russell and Kimi Antonelli are nearing the end of their deals, listed as one of several F1 drivers out of contract in 2025.
While rumours have surrounded Mercedes and a move for Max Verstappen, that is off the table, for now, until they can revisit it.
In the meantime, Toto Wolff is facing a key decision on the future both of his stars, but there is a clear choice to be made on Russell in particular.
Mercedes must seal new George Russell contract over the F1 summer break
While there have been rumours over Mercedes making a move for Max Verstappen, the lack of an exit clause that can be applied this season takes the opportunity away from them.
There has been suggestion that it can be revisited in seasons to come, but for now, Wolff has to look at the more immediate future.
Reports have suggested that a new contract could be on the table for Russell, but it remains to be seen if that is the case.
With the summer break now here, it’s a good time for Mercedes to make a dent into any driver decisions for next season.
Getting a new deal for Russell has to be the priority, and his statistics this season back it up.
The British star has earned 73% of his team’s points so far this season, taking on that mantle of the more experienced driver, while Antonelli eases into life in F1.
Russell also has six podiums to his name this year, only trailing McLaren duo Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris so far.
Even with the exit of Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari, the transition has been rather smooth and shows how well Mercedes have managed this crossover period and their planning on the driver front.
Now it’s time to get their main driver signed up for the future, backing him to continue the decent form he has shown so far.
With some big changes coming in the next year, perhaps sticking with continuity on the driver front will prove to be the best strategy.
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Mercedes need clear plan to be competitive in 2026 season
With there being some big regulation changes coming in the 2026 season, there will be some uncertainty as to how well each team will perform.
For Mercedes, there’s some hope that those switches will bring about a return to the very top once again, after years of dominance.
It could also go the other way, as everyone looks to figure out which teams are on top and which teams need to improve with some key upgrades.
In this instance, perhaps sticking with the current driver pairing of Russell and Antonelli makes the most sense.
Knowing their driving style and ability makes it easier to work around them with the regulation changes, meaning whatever position the new car finds itself in, there is some continuity to work with.
It remains to be seen if that’s the decision that Wolff comes to, but it seems the most sensible ahead of some big movement on the grid.