Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff clarified the team has “very complicated” contracts with both George Russell and Kimi Antonelli regarding options over their futures.

Both drivers are only thought to be on deals covering the 2025 season as it stands, but Wolff confirmed Mercedes have options that mean they could “go much longer”.

Toto Wolff clarifies Mercedes driver contracts ahead of F1 2025 pairing

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher and Sam Cooper

Antonelli was promoted to Formula 1 after impressing in his rookie campaign in Formula 2, with Mercedes picking him to replace the outgoing Lewis Hamilton, who begins life at Ferrari in 2025.

Russell, himself a product of Mercedes’ junior ranks, becomes the senior driver among the pair in the process, but it has been widely reported that both see their current deals end at the conclusion of the upcoming season.

Wolff has confirmed the team has options on both drivers beyond the end of this year, and explained the “pressure cooker” environment Mercedes has had in the past, with drivers often having been on short deals.

The question of whether or not Antonelli was on a multi-year deal was put to the Mercedes team principal, with the young Italian only announced in the team’s press release as being signed for the 2025 campaign.

After the two drivers were announced as the pair for the 2025 season, Wolff explained to media including PlanetF1.com: “These two are the future.

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“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.”

When pressed and asked about his initial short-term deal, 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.”

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