Mercedes’ long game with Russell and Antonelli – It seems that Mercedes has finally confirmed what the rest of the paddock already knew: that George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli will be their driver pairing for 2026. Or, as Toto Wolff put it, in his trademark blend of confidence and mystery: ‘Both fixed.’ These words were uttered after the Singapore Grand Prix, although the official paperwork is still buried under a mountain of ‘details’.

Wolff, ever the perfectionist, assured Sky’s cameras that there was no drama, just administrative delay. “Good things take time,” he said, suggesting that the lawyers are arguing over coffee machine privileges in Brackley rather than any major contractual issues.

Fresh from a serene victory under the Singapore lights, Russell is driving like a man who knows his signature is already drying on the dotted line. For Wolff, the extension is merely a formality.

“George is truly outstanding this year,” he said. “When everything fits together, the car, the setup, the driver’s mindset, you get a dominant combination.”

In other words, Mercedes might not be as fast as McLaren or Red Bull everywhere, but when Russell clicks, he clicks hard.

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Russell’s Singapore redemption

Singapore has been both a playground and a graveyard for Russell. Last year, he left the Marina Bay circuit finishing fourth ahead his then team mate Lewis Hamilton who had qualified one place in front of him the day before. However, in 2023 the British driver suffered the indignation of crashing out on the final lap whilst attempting to take the victory away from Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr.

This time, however, he exorcised those demons with surgical precision. After crashing during Friday practice, an incident that could have unsettled a less experienced driver, Russell bounced back to take pole position and then led Sunday’s race with the calm assurance of someone who had been here before and was determined to change the outcome.

It wasn’t flashy. It didn’t need to be. His fifth Formula 1 win since 2022 came through clean execution, unflustered pace and the new buzzword everyone in the Mercedes garage is using: composure. Wolff, never one to hand out compliments freely, couldn’t hide his admiration.

“He makes very few mistakes,” he said. “That’s the biggest difference this year.”

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From chaos to composure

It’s easy to forget that Russell once had a reputation for overdriving, with a hint of Bottas-style aggression and the energy of someone trying to impress their boss at every turn. Now, he has learned the art of restraint.

“It comes with experience,” he explained. “You simply learn to make the most of every situation.” In Singapore, when it started raining an hour before the race, there was no panic. There was no endless radio chatter. Just calm acceptance.

“It is what it is,” he said, almost shrugging. “It affects everyone equally.”

He admits that a few years ago, he would have overthought everything, obsessing over tyre choices, track temperatures and who had more ice in their pre-race drinks. This time, however, he simply got on with it.

While Antonelli waits in the wings, still technically a rookie, but already the sport’s most overhyped teenager, Russell’s composure offers a timely contrast. The young Italian has been touted as ‘the next Hamilton’, which, if you have followed this sport for any length of time, you will know is both the highest compliment and the heaviest curse.

If Wolff’s dream is to mould Antonelli into a future champion, then Russell is the benchmark, the quiet, well-dressed proof that consistency beats chaos. Still, one imagines that deep down, Toto loves the drama of it all. After all, this is the man who once turned a coffee mug into a motivational prop.

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Russell 2.0: the driver Mercedes needs

Russell’s transformation since joining Mercedes is striking. Gone is the young man haunted by the infamous pitstop error while in the lead in Sakhir in 2020. In his place stands a driver who knows when to attack, when to conserve and, crucially, when to ignore the voice in his head screaming for more throttle.

His ability to learn from mistakes has impressed not just Wolff, but also the engineers who analyse the data. Year on year, the line graphs become smoother, the throttle traces more disciplined, and the radio messages less frantic. He’s evolved into a driver who no longer needs to prove his worth, he knows he belongs.

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The Antonelli factor

Then there’s Antonelli. The team’s long-term plan seems clear: Russell as the experienced anchor and Antonelli as the rising comet, proven by a solid season post summer break.

It’s a gamble, of course. Formula 1 history is littered with young stars who shone brightly in junior series, only to be crushed by the weight of expectation. However, Mercedes appear confident that they have found someone with real potential. Wolff’s careful phrasing ‘both fixed’ suggests the contracts have been signed, even if the press release hasn’t yet been approved by the legal department.

Russell, for his part, seems relaxed about his incoming teammate. Perhaps he remembers what it felt like to be the ambitious newcomer in a team built around a superstar. There’s no sign of friction yet, but give it a season or two and the sparks could fly. After all, Mercedes have never been short of intra-team tension when the stakes are high.

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The calm before another storm?

As Mercedes prepare for 2026 and the new engine regulations, stability in the driver line-up gives them a rare luxury: time. While Red Bull are finding their feet post-Horner and McLaren are basking in the afterglow of their 2024 constructors’ title win, Brackley can quietly build.

And yet, one suspects Wolff enjoys keeping the world guessing. The delay in confirming Russell and Antonelli isn’t just about legal fine print, it’s also classic Mercedes theatre. Why make one announcement when you can make two? Why confirm a fact when you can tease it for weeks and dominate the headlines?

For now, Russell will keep winning, Antonelli will keep waiting, and Toto will keep perfecting his poker face.

After all, as Wolff reminded everyone in Singapore, ‘good things take time’. But in Formula 1, timing is everything, and Mercedes seem determined to get it just right.

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For the 2025 Singapore Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc made the kind of start that reminds you that raw talent still counts: he overtook his teammate and even Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes early on, then defended his position stoutly for much of the evening. However, defending your position isn’t the same as controlling the race. The quartet ahead, George Russell, Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, spent the night trading pace and pit windows, while Leclerc remained in their exhaust plumes without ever truly joining the conversation.

This became clear during the pit phases. Piastri, who is still leading the championship, rejoined the race ahead of Leclerc’s attempted undercut pitstop. This more than any isolated sector time underlined the uncomfortable reality that Ferrari weren’t just behind; they were way behind. When a rival can stay out, spend their resources, and still beat your best trick, the deficit isn’t just tactical, it’s structural…READ MORE ON THIS STORY