The championship fight
Kimi Antonelli leads the 2026 Drivers’ Championship with 242 points. He holds a 59-point advantage over George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, who both have 183 points. Mercedes won eight of the first 11 races this season. Antonelli won six of those races. He became the youngest championship leader at Round 3 in Japan. He is also the first teenager to win multiple Grands Prix. Antonelli has 219 points in total. Russell has 160 points.
The gap remains massive.
Antonelli won the Chinese Grand Prix in March 2026. He also won in Japan. He was the first Italian to win back-to-back races since 1953. He holds the record for the youngest pole position. Russell faces a difficult fight for the title. He sits in third place after some challenging weekends. He won the Australian Grand Prix, but Antonelli took two consecutive wins. Russell struggled with an engine failure in Montreal and issues at Silverstone and Spa. He also faced an anti-stall problem in Budapest. Last year, Antonelli finished the season 150 points behind Russell. The conversation surrounding the championship also included the 50G crash of Oliver Bearman.
The financial disparity
Antonelli’s 2026 base salary is $2,000,000. This figure is the same as his 2025 rookie deal. His performance bonuses can reach $12,000,000. Mercedes uses this structure to align his earnings with race results. His total potential earnings for the year are $13,500,000. His sponsorship income comes from brands like Adidas and Monster Energy. His net worth is roughly $5,000,000. This amount comes from his Mercedes salary and performance bonuses.
| Category | Antonelli (2026) | Russell (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Base Salary | $2,000,000 | $34,000,000 |
| Performance Bonuses | up to $12,000,000 | Not disclosed |
| Total Potential | $13,500,000 | Not disclosed |
The disparity is enormous. Mercedes secured Antonelli through 2029, a three-year extension that signals a multi-decade investment in the nineteen-year-old as the successor to the team’s driver lineage after the departure of Lewis Hamilton. He will not test the market because Mercedes holds significant leverage. You know how much a championship win changes a driver’s earnings. Antonelli’s base salary translates to $166,667 per month and $38,462 per week. On a daily basis, he earns $5,479. If he reaches his full bonus potential, his monthly income reaches $1,125,000. This would mean he earns $259,615 per week. Max Verstappen earns $70,000,000 annually. Lewis Hamilton earns $40,000,000. Charles Leclerc earns up to $35,000,000.
Management and the Verstappen rumors
Toto Wolff describes the Russell and Antonelli relationship as a "healthy rivalry". He says both drivers focus on the Constructors’ Championship. Mercedes wants to win both titles. Wolff says the team has a "perfect line-up" and believes in its future. He also spoke about Max Verstappen. Wolff said he is not afraid of having Verstappen in the team one day. However, he said adding a new variable right now is not right for long-term development. Mercedes decided to make its 2026 driver selection during the summer break.
Red Bull disagrees. Christian Horner said the Mercedes comments are "just noise". Verstappen has a contract with Red Bull until 2028. He might have performance clauses for an earlier exit. Wolff said it is unlikely that Verstappen joins Mercedes in 2026. Mercedes focuses on stability. The team achieved a 72-point lead over Ferrari. They won 8 of 11 races. Wolff says the team is happy with the current dynamics. He wants to avoid unnecessary disruption to their upward trajectory.
Will Verstappen ever move?
Technical differences in driving style
Antonelli and Russell have different driving styles. Antonelli is aggressive. He uses precise and subtle inputs to manage the car. This helps him handle microslides in low-downforce cars. He can energise front tyres when they need it. He manages peak loads well. He was second in all three sectors during his Monaco pole lap. His style involves carrying speed through the ability to make constant tiny corrections.
Russell prefers a smooth, high-commitment style. He aims for stability during turn-in. He often trades mid-corner speed for higher exit speed. This style puts high peak loads through the tyres. He has struggled to keep the Pirellis in the correct window. This causes the rear to slide and overheating to occur. He also struggled in Miami and Monaco. He uses a "don’t brake later, brake less" approach to stabilize the car.
The tyres are the issue. Antonelli has 7 qualifying wins compared to Russell’s 4. Antonelli has 5 race wins compared to Russell’s 4. Antonelli has 361 laps ahead of Russell.