Mercedes aiming to keep Russell and Antonelli next season
George Russell and Kimi Antonelli are Mercedes' first choice for next season, team boss Toto Wolff said in comments appearing to rule out an immediate move for Red Bull's four-time Formula One champion Max Verstappen.
Verstappen is third overall at the midpoint of the 24-round campaign, 69 points behind McLaren's overall leader Oscar Piastri and 61 adrift of the Australian's British teammate Lando Norris.
The Dutch driver's dream of a fifth successive title is disappearing and, with a new engine era starting in 2026 and the Mercedes power unit expected to be the pick of the field, there has been talk of Verstappen switching.
That speculation was put in even sharper focus after Red Bull sacked long-serving team boss Christian Horner this month, with Laurent Mekies in charge at this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix.
Russell's contract expires at the end of the season, although he is also managed by Mercedes, while 18-year-old rookie Antonelli only joined this year and is a big talent for the future.
"The direction of travel is that we want to continue with George and Kimi. That is the first priority," Wolff told Austria's ORF television on Wednesday.
"You can't look past someone like Max and the plans he has for the future. We did that, but I don't think there will be any big surprises."
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore Judge asks prosecution for more information on Kpods in first case involving etomidate-laced vapes
World In landmark opinion, World Court says countries must address climate change threat
Singapore 5 teens arrested for threatening boy with knife, 2 charged with causing hurt
Singapore Male victim of fatal Toa Payoh fire was known to keep many things, say residents
Sport Bukayo Saka the difference as Arsenal beat AC Milan at National Stadium
Singapore HDB launches 10,209 BTO and balance flats, as priority scheme for singles kicks in
Singapore Over 1.15 million Singaporeans aged 21 to 59 have claimed SG60 vouchers
Singapore Cyclist charged after allegedly hitting elderly pedestrian, killing him
ORF said that while Verstappen had performance clauses, he would have needed to be outside the top three after Silverstone to trigger his contract release.
Social media lit up this month after Wolff and Verstappen were reported to be on vacation at the same time and in the same area of Sardinia, but the Mercedes boss dismissed any significance in that.
"If you go on holiday close to each other, it doesn't mean that you are also going to work together in Formula One," he said.
"We have always got along well. We also happen to vacation in similar areas." REUTERS
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
F1 race director Marques in the hot seat in Spa
Find out what's new on ST website and app. McLaren's Oscar Piastri drives ahead of teammate Lando Norris during the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. Rui Marques is the Formula One race director, with responsibility to ensure that races start with the highest level of safety attainable, or don't start at all if certain conditions cannot be satisfied. Just think about that for one moment.
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
Rugby Australia want 'accountability' on late call in Lions test
SYDNEY - Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh said he would seek an explanation from World Rugby on the late call by referee Andrea Piardi that ultimately decided the match and the series in the second test against the British & Irish Lions. Hugo Keenan's last-minute try gave the Lions a 29-26 win at the Melbourne Cricket Ground but the Irish fullback only scored after Jac Morgan had cleared out Carlo Tizzano in a ruck in the buildup. The Wallabies wanted a penalty for high contact but Piardi allowed the try to stand, a decision slammed by Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt in his post-match press conference as contrary to World Rugby's campaign to improve player safety. "Joe's comments at the press conference were 100% aligned with mine as a CEO and a former Wallaby," Waugh told the Sydney Morning Herald. "Our position on that particular decision is consistent to what Joe outlined in his analysis of that last breakdown. "Clearly there'll be the usual process, which is what happens after every test match, and we'll certainly be looking for a level of accountability from World Rugby over the next period of time." Waugh will not have to go far to air his views with senior World Rugby officials in Sydney this week for events looking forward to the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia. Saturday's victory gave the Lions an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series ahead of the third and final test at Sydney's Stadium Australia this weekend. REUTERS
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
'Lucky' De Minaur saves three match points to lift Washington Open title
Alex De Minaur rallied from a set down and saved three match points to claim the Washington Open title with a 5-7 6-1 7-6(3) win over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the final of the ATP 500 event on Sunday. The Australian number one, who lost the 2018 final to Alexander Zverev, felt he rode his luck to secure his 10th career title and ensure he will enter the top 10 in the world rankings ahead of next month's U.S. Open. The two 26-year-olds exchanged breaks early in the opening set before Spain's Davidovich Fokina seized control by breaking again and closed out the set with the help of some crisp forehand winners. De Minaur responded emphatically in the second set, converting two of four break-point opportunities while holding serve throughout, wrapping up the set in just over 30 minutes with an ace to level the contest. The Spaniard looked on course for his first career title when he broke to grab the lead in the decider but he failed to serve out the match at 5-3, sending a forehand long to hand the break back to seventh seed De Minaur. Davidovich Fokina's frustration mounted as the 12th seed squandered three match points on De Minaur's serve, and the Australian then capitalised on a series of unforced errors in the tiebreak to edge the contest. "I came here in 2018 and it gave me so much confidence, so I'm so happy that I was able to come back and end up winning the title," De Minaur said at the trophy presentation. "Alejandro, you're way too good not to have one of these, it's coming for sure," he added, gesturing to the trophy. "You deserved it today, I just got lucky. You are a hell of a competitor, hell of a player. No one on the tour wants to play you. And this is not the end, this is only going on for you." Davidovich Fokina recalled that he had required a wild card to play in the U.S. capital last year and was pleased to have at least guaranteed a rise to a career high world number 19 when the rankings are updated on Monday. "He deserved the win, he was fighting every ... ball, he was always pushing through my limits," Davidovich Fokina said. "We had a job to do before we started the year, to be at the middle of the year in the top 20. This week we did it, just not with the trophy. But for sure, we will keep going, pushing our limits, pushing harder." REUTERS
