Toto Wolff Reveals Details Of George Russell And Kimi Antonelli Mercedes Contracts

Toto Wolff detailed Mercedes' strategy for the future, confirming George Russell as senior driver and promoting Kimi Antonelli to Formula 1 following Lewis Hamilton's move to Ferrari.

Toto Wolff and George Russell / Mercedes Press Image

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has recently unveiled details about the contracts of Formula 1 drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli. Both contracts extend through the 2025 season, but Wolff explained that Mercedes has options for extending these agreements.

This reflects the team's ambition of securing a strong driver line-up for the future. With the departure of seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari in 2025, Antonelli has been promoted to a Formula 1 position after showing impressive talent in Formula 2. Russell, meanwhile, will step up as the senior driver, having advanced through the Mercedes junior ranks.

Whilst speaking about the details of the driver contracts, Wolff noted the "very complicated" nature, which include various options for potential extensions. This mirrors a historical trend at Mercedes, where short-term driver contracts have been standard practice. Wolff explained:

“These two are the future.

“They have been and will be Mercedes drivers, and therefore, we have contracts with George and Kimi that go much longer that are very complicated in terms of options, etc.

“And this is a pressure cooker. Mercedes always has been a pressure cooker, but this is where we stand as a team today, we want to go with these two.”

Wolff added:

“I think, like with times in the past, we always had very short contracts with each of the drivers – even with Lewis [Hamilton] last time around, was one plus one. And this is, in a way, [is] how the team operated.

“But I think most important is to see how George and Kimi settle in, and I see no reason at that stage of not giving them the faith and the trust of going forward.

“What that means for the terms is something that we will discuss between ourselves, but we wouldn’t have gone with the line-up with these two if we wouldn’t believe 100% if they are the best choice for ourselves.”

Mercedes' junior driver program plays a significant role in cultivating emerging talent. Antonelli joined the program at age 12 and quickly distinguished himself, drawing parallels to drivers like Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton in their early careers.

The Brackley-based squad had earlier shown interest in signing Max Verstappen for 2025. However, negotiations did not progress, as Verstappen committed to staying with Red Bull, at least for the immediate future. Other drivers who could have been available to Mercedes for 2025 included Carlos Sainz, who found himself out of his Ferrari seat due to Hamilton's move. However, Wolff opted to put his faith in developing younger talent.