Kimi Antonelli signed with Mercedes in 2025 to replace the outgoing Lewis Hamilton. Toto Wolff put a lot of trust in the teenage protege. Up until now, Antonelli has also done relatively well in his rookie F1 season. Naturally, questions around his contract at the Silver Arrows have come up, as we get closer to the ‘silly season’. So, what is the current status on Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes contract?
Rumors around F1 driver moves for 2026 have begun swirling within the F1 paddock. Mercedes is at the forefront of these links, with recent confirmation from Toto Wolff that the Silver Arrows are in talks with Max Verstappen. Many people have speculated that George Russell could potentially be the one making way, given his contract expires at the end of this year. But could it also be Kimi Antonelli losing out?
Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes F1 contract
Kimi Antonelli only signed a one-year deal at Mercedes at the start of 2025. This means his contract is also set to expire at the end of this year. So even with all the hype surrounding the teenager, he does not have a race seat for 2026, as things stand.
Mercedes took a huge gamble putting Antonelli straight into their F1 outfit in his rookie season. But the Silver Arrows understandably only offered him a year-long contract. Many reports at the start of the season suggested that the German team will analyze the teenager’s performances throughout the year before giving him a longer contract.
Till now, Antonelli has performed reasonably well, especially with the pressure he has had to endure as Lewis Hamilton’s replacement. The driver recently stood on his first ever F1 podium in Canada, becoming the third youngest ever to do so.
What next for Kimi Antonelli?
Toto Wolff clearly has a lot of faith in Kimi Antonelli. And his faith has been repaid so far this season with the Italian’s potential on full display. He is still only 18, and seems to only be getting better with more F1 experience.
At the moment, there are no credible reports suggesting that a contract extension is being discussed between Antonelli and Mercedes though. But it is surely possible, given all the aforementioned factors.
It is now confirmed by both Toto Wolff and George Russell that Max Verstappen is on Mercedes’ radar. According to Russell, this is a big reason why his contact extension talks have been delayed. Same could be the case for Antonelli.
So it is safe to say that Antonelli’s contract situation may also rest on what happens with Verstappen. It is currently unknown whether Wolff would prefer to pair the Dutchman with Antonelli or Russell.
A Russell-Verstappen partnership would arguably be the strongest on the grid. But a difficult one to manage, given the pair’s fierce rivalry.
Antonelli and Verstappen seem to like each other more, with the former almost idolizing the latter. Antonelli could also play a second-fiddle role to the reigning world champion in the early stages of his career, but he may not want to.
It is also believed that even if Wolff can’t sign Verstappen for 2026, he is not willing to stop trying in 2027 and beyond. So both Russell and Antonelli could potentially sign short-term contract extensions, in case Verstappen does not end up at Mercedes for next year.
All that currently exists with Antonelli’s contact situation at Mercedes is pure speculation. A clearer picture will emerge in the coming weeks.
