Toto Wolff reveals Mercedes F1 2026 driver line-up decision

Toto Wolff has effectively confirmed that Mercedes will continue with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli in the 2026 F1 season.

Following the Dutch Grand Prix, Wolff told media including Crash.net that Russell and Antonelli will stay as Mercedes’ drivers next year. However, the finer details of Russell’s contract extension are still being finalised.

Mercedes had expressed an interest in signing Max Verstappen but the four-time world champion confirmed he would be staying put at Red Bull for 2026 before the summer break, effectively making it a foregone conclusion that Russell and Antonelli would remain at the Silver Arrows.

"I always say there's not going to be any big news because we're doing this. We're continuing with both of them, of course,” Wolff said.

“With George there's a few things where we want to optimise some of the travelling and the marketing days, how many hours we're putting in. He's an experienced driver and for us it's always important to talk about it.

"We want to have the best performance of the drivers and I think we've given both of them quite a strain with marketing activities and media activities and this is how we're recalibrating.”

Wolff also ruled out an official announcement from Mercedes ahead of next weekend’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

"Is there going to be an announcement in Monza? No," Wolff added. "But I don't think it's going to be even a big announcement. It's just going to give you the heads up and say we've put a signature on the agreement.”

Toto Wolff defends F1 rookie Kimi Antonelli

Antonelli experienced another difficult weekend at Zandvoort as he wiped out Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and earned two separate time penalties which dropped him from sixth to 16th in the classification.

But Wolff insisted Antonelli’s rollercoaster rookie campaign was “absolutely expected” and reiterated his absolute belief in the Italian teenager’s potential.

"When we gave him the opportunity, it was also saying that we would give him a year of learning, and there would be moments where we'd tear our hair out, and there would be other moments of brilliance,” Wolff explained.

“I think this weekend pretty much sums that up.”

Wolff added: "The mistake in FP1, clearly something that puts you on the back foot for the rest of the weekend, and then in the race, these moments of great driving.

"Once he was in free air, he was behind the McLaren the quickest car, caught up, and then again was involved in that accident that unfortunately meant the end for Charles' race.

"But we want him to go for the moves, obviously. So up and downs, and that was absolutely expected from this season and every one of those days is going to be a learning for next year.

"We're not fighting for a constructor championship. Of course it's P2 and P3 [in the standings] that is at stake, but this has less relevance than next year when it's important to score the points.

"You always wish that the learning has less humps and bumps than it has today because the swings are enormous but it's there. It just needs to be unpeeled like an artichoke where at the end there is the gold. It's there and we have no doubt.

“My 100% belief is in him in the long term and that is just part of the learning.”