Mercedes may lease Antonelli to Alpine.
The story regarding Max Verstappen's possible move from Red Bull Racing to Mercedes took an unexpected turn. We previously quoted Jenson Button, who was surprised that Mercedes was considering letting go of George Russell rather than Kimi Räikkönen to make room for Max. Now, Italian publication La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Mercedes might lease Kimi to the Alpine team in 2026, with Verstappen becoming Russell's teammate.
Next season, Mercedes will begin supplying power units to Alpine, so by driving one of the team's cars in Enstone, Kimi will still formally remain a Mercedes driver with the prospect of returning to Brackley in a few years.
The note also states that Mercedes is prepared to offer Russell a one-season contract extension, but the British driver is not satisfied with this option. The parties continue negotiations and hope to reach an agreement before the start of the summer break.
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Mercedes may lease Antonelli to Alpine.
The story regarding Max Verstappen's potential move from Red Bull Racing to Mercedes took an unexpected turn.