The modern ground effect era has delivered little cheer for Mercedes, the team that had previously enjoyed one of the most dominant eras the sport had ever seen following the introduction of the V6 turbo hybrid power units in 2014.
After Lewis Hamilton lost the 2021 drivers’ championship in extremely controversial circumstances to Max Verstappen, Mercedes were supposed to strike back hard with a radical approach to the new aero regulations. But it quickly became clear they had bet on the wrong design horse and have spent the last few seasons struggling to catch up as first Red Bull, then McLaren ran rings around them on track.
Despite George Russell taking an impressive victory in Canada, Mercedes are far from championship contention for the fourth straight season this year. But while there have been countless frustrating days at the team’s Brackley factory in recent years, Mercedes’ fortunes could be set to change in 2026.
Next year, the sport will undergo its latest technical revolution with a vastly different car concept and the introduction of revised hybrid power units that will put the focus firmly back on power and energy deployment once again. The first time this happened in 2014, Mercedes’ power units were the class of the field, seeing their factory team jump straight to the top of the sport’s pecking order. Many in the paddock believe the Silver Arrows are best placed to make a return to the front next season.
If that is indeed the case, then the two seats at Mercedes for 2026 are arguably the most coveted of the 22 that will make up next year’s grid. Currently, they are set to be occupied by this year’s driver pairing of the experienced Russell and teenage team mate Andrea Kimi Antonelli. But that may be set to change.
Over the last month, suggestions that world champion Max Verstappen may be looking at making a stunning switch from Red Bull to Mercedes have grown from rumour to established fact. Amid turmoil at Milton Keynes, it’s now no secret that Verstappen and Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff are negotiating over whether the four-times champion will join them for next season – or even the year after.
But while Verstappen must first decide whether leaving the team he has called home for the last nine years is the right move for him to make, Mercedes also have to decide which two drivers to fit into their cars for next season.
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Option 1: Russell and Antonelli
The simplest option for Mercedes, even if Verstappen is willing to drop Red Bull to join them, is to stay loyal to both of their current drivers and retain both Russell and Antonelli into next season.
Although voluntarily giving up on the chance to hire Verstappen could be considered something tantamount to corporate negligence by some, it is something to consider. If Mercedes feel they genuinely will be the team to beat next season, why risk bringing in a new driver – even if it is Verstappen – when recent years have provided many examples of drivers struggling to hit the ground running with brand new teams. With Russell a proven race winner and Antonelli almost sure to make a step forward in year two, keeping with what they have could be a smarter – and cheaper – path to take.
Option 2: Verstappen and Antonelli
What seems to be the most likely option if Mercedes do sign Verstappen away from Red Bull, a line up where the multiple world champion joins the team alongside young Antonelli, replacing Russell.
Verstappen will naturally become the clear team leader, with Antonelli continuing to focus on developing in the second car and working on realising the immense potential he appears to possess. Very few would expect Antonelli to challenge Verstappen even if he has the benefit of knowing the team, but having the opportunity to study and learn from one of the greatest ever could be invaluable for Antonelli’s own development into the future.
Option 3: Verstappen and Russell
On paper, this would be the strongest driver line up possible for Mercedes to field for 2026. Verstappen – a four-times world champion and one of the most successful drivers in the sport’s history who is widely considered the most outstanding competitor on the current grid. Then Russell – a multiple grand prix winner with four years of experience in the team who has been arguably one of the veey best and most consistent performers of the current season.
While that would make a lot of sense on paper, there is the awkward reality that Russell and Verstappen have had a history of clashes in recent years. Russell seems more than willing to try and push Verstappen’s buttons compared to many other drivers on the grid, but do Wolff and Mercedes really want another intra-team war like they had with Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg a decade ago?
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I say
There are few people in the Formula 1 paddock less inclined to take advice from strangers over how to run their team than Toto Wolff.
However, the prospect of bringing Verstappen into the fold at Mercedes is one Wolff is never going to pass up on if it is in any way a possibility. And if you can get the consensus strongest driver on the grid into your car, giving up that option would be just as foolish as a driver turning down the option to move to Mercedes in the first season of new power unit regulations, given how they aced the transition last time around.
Antonelli clearly has the potential to be special. But he is far from being a finished product. Although the teenage phenomenon has proven he deserves to be on the grid, if he is chosen to keep his seat for next year instead of Russell, it will be not because of his current ability, but his projected ability into the future.
For 2026, the two best drivers available to Mercedes appear to be Russell and Verstappen. That is not just the strongest combination, it has the potential to be the most exciting to watch. And if Mercedes do produce another all-conquering car and power unit for next year, then it is the line up that would provide fans with the best chance of an intriguing championship battle like those Hamilton and Rosberg fought for three consecutive seasons.
You say
Which driver combination do you think Mercedes should go with for 2026? Have you say in this weekend’s poll…
Which drivers should Mercedes pick for 2026?
- Another line-up (1%)
- Verstappen and Russell (35%)
- Verstappen and Antonelli (18%)
- Russell and Antonelli (45%)
Total Voters: 144
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