Door left ajar for Max? George and Kimi's contract length revealed

Russell's and Antonelli's continuation with Mercedes into 2026 has been announced today by Mercedes.

However, one of the snags the British driver and the German outfit faced, as media reports suggested, was the duration of the agreement.

Whereas Russell would be inclined to having some certainty regarding his future in the sport, Mercedes would've wanted to continue forward with their up until now 1+1 contract length. One year assured, the next one remains an option which either side can choose to reneg should any existing exit clauses be triggered.

Now Russell can breathe a sigh of relieve given that his contract extension, GPblog understands is a multi-year deal. When the new commitment expires it has not yet been confirmed.

It is widely known, from the Mercedes team principal and CEO Toto Wolff himself, that acquiring Max Verstappen's driving services in F1 is a target for the German team.

Whereas previous speculation would indicate Russell would be the odd man out should Mercedes manage to land Verstappen's signature, the British driver debunked that notion stating Kimi would be sidelined should the reigning F1 champion go to Mercedes.

The Italian's extension at Mercedes expires at the end of 2026, meaning it is a one-year deal only, GPblog can report.

It is understood as well, that should Red Bull not be able to provide Verstappen with a competitive car, the Dutchman could then take his leave, in which case, Mercedes would present itself as a solid option, should rumours of the superb performance of their 2026 power unit be true.

In this case, the duration of both drivers' aggreements would suggest that should the door for Verstappen at Mercedes remain open still, Antonelli's tenure at Mercedes would be under question.

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