Kimi Antonelli’s new Mercedes contract still hasn’t been officially confirmed. But Toto Wolff’s commitment to his 18-year-old starlet hasn’t wavered.
Antonelli started his rookie season in promising fashion, scoring his first pole (albeit in a Sprint) and first podium in the space of his first 10 races. But he rather lost his way thereafter.
In a six-race run either side of the summer break, Antonelli only scored three points, which saw him lose touch with F1’s other top drivers and fall below Williams’ Alex Albon. But the 18-year-old finally managed to string together a clean weekend in Azerbaijan as he delivered a much-needed fourth place.
| PERIOD | POINTS |
| First 10 races | 63 |
| Next six races | 3 |
| Azerbaijan GP | 12 |
He hasn’t totally convinced the world of F1 that he was ready for a challenge of this magnitude, though. Some feel Wolff rather rushed the teenager’s arc in response to Lewis Hamilton joining Ferrari, and that he would have been better served joining a midfield team on loan.
Toto Wolff rubbishes reports Kimi Antonelli could join Williams or Alpine
Mercedes have a degree of influence over multiple teams through their role as an engine supplier. This facilitated George Russell’s three-season spell at Williams between 2019 and 2021.
A recent report claimed Mercedes hadn’t ruled out sending Antonelli to Williams for his second season in a swap deal for Carlos Sainz. That would have been an admission that he still needed to develop, and that the Silver Arrows needed a more consistent scorer.
What’s more, there was talk that Wolff could loan Antonelli to Alpine if he managed to sign Max Verstappen. Flavio Briatore’s squad will join the roster of Mercedes-powered teams next season.
However, speaking to Sky Italy, Wolff emphatically confirmed that Antonelli would be staying put for 2026.
“The Alpine and Williams speculations are completely nonsense,” he said. “He will stay here in 2026 100%.”
George Russell’s demand in Mercedes talks is damning for Kimi Antonelli
One journalist believes Antonelli has ‘effectively’ signed his 2026 deal already. Wolff has indicated that there won’t be a bells-and-whistles announcement, and it’s possible that the team can simply activate an extension clause in his contract.
It’s also worth noting, of course, that Russell hasn’t been confirmed as a 2026 Mercedes driver either. That’s despite winning a race and scoring seven podiums in an outstanding season.
Russell apparently wants an Antonelli ‘clause’ in his new deal, whereby he’ll be guaranteed a seat if he outperforms the Italian by a certain margin. Accounting for all competitive sessions where both drivers have been classified, he leads the head-to-head 32-3.
Wolff will expect Antonelli to make a second-year leap and challenge his teammate much more regularly. If he doesn’t, then doubts could start to set in.