P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Toto Wolff insists he made the right driver choices by re-signing George Russell and Kimi Antonelli at Mercedes for the 2026 F1 season.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff is committed to his driver choices, George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, for the 2026 F1 season, despite previous interest in Max Verstappen. Wolff had explored the option of signing Verstappen earlier in the season but eventually refocused on Russell and Antonelli. The negotiation process for Russell’s contract extension took longer than expected, with concerns over potential courting of Verstappen causing instability. Despite the challenges, only extensions for 2026 were confirmed, with Wolff standing by his driver choices while acknowledging the complexities of the situation. The team’s focus remains on Russell and Antonelli as they navigate through the challenges of the F1 season.
