Mercedes’ future with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli: Stability or more change ahead?

Mercedes began the 2025 F1 season with an upgraded lineup, introducing F1's youngest rookie of the season, Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The team paired him with their fairly experienced driver, George Russell. Given the competitiveness both drivers showcased, this season was set to be a strong one for the team.

Both drivers started out well, with Russell scoring a victory in Canada and Antonelli bringing himself up to the podium in the same race. They consistently scored points initially, giving Mercedes a strong stance within the top teams.

However, the scenario has changed for the Brackley-based outfit in recent races. Antonelli has only managed to score a single point since his podium in Canada, which has dropped the team to third place in the championship. At the same time, George Russell has been within the points, but that did not help the team hold on to second place.

Both drivers are set for contract renewals at the end of the current season. While the team was expected to extend their stint earlier, there has been no official statement so far, which begs the question: should Mercedes continue with this lineup?

This seems to be an easy choice, but with the driver market evolving, there are always a few options the team can go through. However, the team has a possibility of performing better with this lineup.

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Why would Mercedes benefit from keeping the same lineup?

Narrowing down the discussion to pure performance, George Russell has proven himself. He won multiple races last year and has already managed to put himself in the front this year as well. Moreover, he had also managed to clinch that ever-important victory in 2022 in Sao Paulo, the year when Mercedes was never thought to win a race, thanks to the W13.

More importantly, however, Russell has been incredibly consistent. He scored four podiums within the first six races this season, and that trend has continued so far. Apart from a P11 in Monaco, Russell has put that car in points every single time.

George Russell celebrates his victory in Canada, 2025 (Getty Images)

Moreover, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff also mentioned that Russell had improved quite drastically throughout his years racing in Formula 1. Wolff also mentioned that he was the stronger driver in 2024 (compared to Lewis Hamilton) in terms of pace and results.

"And you've seen already last year he started to be so strong on pure pace, in terms of the results, the stronger driver. And now with Lewis having gone to Ferrari, he's taken the senior driver slot, and it completely came naturally and he delivers."

This comes as a testament to the Briton. His on-track performance and tuning with the team and the car are essential for Mercedes to build on in the future.

What mistake did Mercedes make with Kimi Antonelli?

Kimi Antonelli was quick to prove himself in the junior series. He skipped Formula 3 and was in his initial Formula 2 season when Toto Wolff signed him to F1. However, that was the first mistake he made.

It was understood that Antonelli lacked experience in the junior series. His performance had significant shakeups in Formula 2 itself shortly after his signing. Coming in F1, he did manage to drive a few shockers, but that was only in the first six races of the season.

Kimi Antonelli crashes in Austria, 2025 (Getty Images)

It was clear that the Brackley-based outfit had signed Kimi Antonelli too early. The best option would have been to let him gain more experience within Formula 2 (for another year at best), and then introduce him to the world of F1.

Should the team keep Kimi Antonelli?

The short answer? Yes.

Now that Mercedes has already gone through the pain of signing a very young and inexperienced driver to the team, they have gone through the rough patch. Antonelli managed to score a point in Hungary, and he might as well be on the road to improvement.

As mentioned, he did skip Formula 3 simply because of his skill set and racecraft. Like Russell, Antonelli has also been a proven driver in the junior series. He has the skills, considering his podium in Canada. He just needs more time behind the wheel, and without a doubt, Antonelli will come across as one of the most competitive drivers on the grid.

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Long story short, the conclusion

The Mercedes lineup during the F1 75 live show, 2025 (Getty Images)

Yes, Mercedes should keep their current lineup for the coming seasons. Although they were rumored to be in contact with Max Verstappen, it wouldn't make any sense for them to sign him. Moreover, they wouldn't look into the driver market, considering they already have a strong rookie behind the wheel. Furthermore, George Russell serves as an excellent senior driver, pulling consistent points.

The team is already in competition with Ferrari to clinch second place in the championship this season. If they manage to deliver a strong car with a reliable power unit in the new 2026 F1 era, they could possibly challenge for the championship.