Kimi Antonelli is reassured by the rumours: “Mercedes has confidence in me”

Kimi Antonelli shows no concern about his future in Formula 1 with Mercedes, even though neither he nor his experienced teammate George Russell have been confirmed for the 2026 season with the Silver Arrows.

Kimi Antonelli is not worried about his future.

The Italian, who is competing in his first F1 season after replacing Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes team, has already achieved some notable performances: a pole in the Sprint in Miami and a podium in Canada.

However, at present, neither Kimi Antonelli (18 years old) nor George Russell (27 years old) have been officially extended beyond 2025, while media speculation continues to link reigning world champion Max Verstappen to a potential move to Mercedes. George Russell recently mentioned conversations between Mercedes and Max Verstappen, while stating: “I don’t think I’ll go anywhere else.”

Asked in turn about his own situation, Kimi Antonelli appeared relaxed. “I’m not really worried about myself, I focus as much as possible on what I have to do to deliver the best possible performance,” he explained.

« The team has shown me a lot of trust and continues to do so. They also give me time to improve. »

« Last weekend wasn’t the best of my season, but I’m really working on my weaknesses to reduce my mistakes. Of course, there are a lot of things going on, a lot of discussions, but at the end of the day, I just focus on myself and the quality of my work. »

An incident between the two drivers in Austria

The young Italian was also questioned about the incident in Austria, where he hit the rear of Max Verstappen’s car on the first lap, and about the images showing the two drivers calmly exchanging words afterwards. Some saw this as an encouraging sign in case of future cohabitation.

« Honestly, I wasn’t thinking about that », replied Kimi Antonelli. « It was simply a way to show respect. I immediately recognized that I had made a mistake, it was my fault. »

« I was sorry for my team because dropping out in the first round is never good, but I also eliminated Max, which obviously wasn’t planned. It wasn’t intentional and I apologized to him. He was very nice, he understood my message. »

In view of the British Grand Prix, Kimi Antonelli is enthusiastic, particularly because the Silverstone circuit was the scene of his first Formula 2 victory last year.

« I am very excited ahead of this weekend », he declared. « Silverstone is always a special place, the atmosphere there is incredible. It’s a great time to bounce back after the tough race in Austria. I can’t wait to be on track tomorrow to see what we are capable of doing. »