His victory in Canada was magnificent, and he\u2019s only 15 points behind Max Verstappen<\/a> in the drivers\u2019 championship<\/a> with 10 Grand Prix weekends to go.<\/p>\n On the other side of the Mercedes<\/a> garage, Andrea Kimi Antonelli<\/a> has shown moments of brilliance that have started to explain why he was chosen as Lewis Hamilton\u2019s successor.<\/p>\n His pole position in the Sprint Race in Miami and podium finish at the Canadian Grand Prix have been the high points for the 18-year-old.<\/p>\n CategoryGeorge RussellAndrea Kimi Antonelli2025 points17264Grand Prix results140Grand Prix qualifying131Grand Prix wins10Grand Prix poles10Grand Prix podiums61Best finish1st3rdDisqualifications00Retirements02Retirements (classified finish)00Fastest laps22Grand Prix points finishes148Sprint results30Sprint Qualifying21Sprint wins00Sprint poles01Sprint podiums00The 2025 F1 teammate head-to-head battle of George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli<\/p>\n However, going into the summer break, Antonelli is 108 points behind his teammate.<\/p>\n Toto Wolff<\/a> looks set to offer Russell and Antonelli new deals, but Mercedes still have one eye on Verstappen<\/a>.<\/p>\n If the Dutchman decides to leave Red Bull in 2026, then Mercedes will need to make room for him, and journalist and paddock insider Tim Hauraney believes the Silver Arrows may have decided which of their drivers is going to be offered a short-term deal.<\/p>\n READ MORE: All you need to know about Mercedes F1 Team from team principal to lineage<\/a><\/p>\n Hauraney was speaking on The Ringer Podcast about the Mercedes contract situation during the summer break.<\/p>\n Russell looks set to sign an improved Mercedes offer<\/a>, and talking about his extraordinary season, Hauraney explained: \u201cWhen you take a look at it from George\u2019s perspective, he wants longer-term safety and security.<\/p>\n \u201cPlus, if Mercedes nails this 2026 regulation, you don\u2019t want to just go in and have a chance at winning a championship and then all of a sudden be bounced out of the seat or go in, win a championship and get bounced out of the seat.<\/p>\n \u201cYou want to be in it so you can win championships, especially because we know how well Mercedes does with power unit regulation change. They always do really well.<\/p>\n Position Drivers’ Championship PointsPts 1 284 2 275 3 187 4 172 5 151 6 109 7 64 8 54 9 37 10 27 <\/p>\n \u201cSo if I\u2019m George, I\u2019m definitely pushing for at least three years plus an option. He\u2019s going to want more money, too, after some of the Grand Prix he\u2019s been through. I mean, George has been fantastic this year. This is the best I\u2019ve ever seen George drive.<\/p>\n \u201cSo why would you get rid of this driver? He\u2019s only going to keep getting better.<\/p>\n \u201cSo that\u2019s why, for me, I think George stays there on a longer-term deal. I think Kimi is going to be the one who\u2019s going to have that one plus one, and then we\u2019ll reevaluate and see where he\u2019s at.<\/p>\n \u201cI think maybe for Toto, he\u2019s thinking like, I was able to deal with Rosberg and Hamilton. Maybe I can deal with Russell and Verstappen if that were ever to happen in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n READ MORE: Know all about 2025 Mercedes F1 driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli including stats<\/a><\/p>\n Why Mercedes didn\u2019t loan Kimi Antonelli out before his Mercedes F1 debut<\/p>\n As soon as Hamilton announced that he would be moving to Ferrari for the 2025 season, Antonelli\u2019s name was immediately linked with the seat.<\/p>\n The likes of Carlos Sainz and even Sebastian Vettel were linked with Mercedes, but when Wolff announced that it would be Antonelli stepping up, he admitted the Italian was always his first choice.<\/p>\n Speaking exclusively to F1 Oversteer, Alex Jacques believes Antonelli wasn\u2019t loaned out because of Esteban Ocon\u2019s early F1 career<\/a>, and how he ended up having to sit out for a year because of the way the driver market<\/a> shook out.<\/p>\n TEAMDRIVER 1DRIVER 2AlpinePierre GaslyN\/AAston MartinFernando AlonsoLance StrollAudiGabriel BortoletoNico HulkenbergCadillacN\/AN\/AFerrariCharles LeclercLewis HamiltonHaasEsteban OconOliver BearmanMcLarenLando NorrisOscar PiastriMercedesN\/AN\/ARacing BullsN\/AN\/ARed Bull RacingMax VerstappenN\/AWilliamsAlex AlbonCarlos Sainz2026 confirmed F1 drivers<\/p>\n![\"Mercedes](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2219683122-1024x683.jpg\")
Photo by Stefano Facchin\/Alessio Morgese \/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesMercedes likely to offer Kimi Antonelli a short-term deal amid Max Verstappen interest<\/p>\n