Andrea Kimi Antonelli had "doubts" over F1 future…

Andrea Kimi Antonelli admitted to "doubts" about his Formula 1 future during a difficult phase in his maiden season with Mercedes, but feels much more secure now that he's signed an extension to his deal.

Antonelli and team-mate George Russell had their new Mercedes contract extensions announced yesterday; Russell is believed to be on a multi-year deal, while Antonelli has an initial one-year deal - but will likely have an option in his deal to continue into 2027.

The Italian teen faced much in the way of speculation about his future during a tough gauntlet of European races - in which mechanical issues, a Monaco qualifying crash, a collision with Max Verstappen at Austria, and being nerfed by Isack Hadjar in the wet at Silverstone contributed to a lean spell. This coincided with rumours about Verstappen potentially joining the team, as he explored his options away from Red Bull.

Although the calendar's intermission in Canada brought Antonelli a first F1 podium, his hoodoo continued with just three points scored in the European races. His form has since returned at the flyaways, with fourth in Azerbaijan and fifth in Singapore.

Antonelli says that he wasn't necessarily worried about securing an extension and praised Mercedes for its support - but did suggest that his difficult middle portion of the season led to him second-guessing his future.

"The team has always been very clear on their plans and on what they wanted to do, so I wasn't never really worried, but it's always nice to get the confirmation," Antonelli said.

"Especially with all the ups and downs, especially the difficult period, some doubt starts to kick in. But the team has always been very supportive and very open that they wanted to continue with me, especially for next year.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes (Photo by: Zak Mauger / LAT Images via Getty Images)

"I'm really happy to have the confirmation now that it's been announced. Even though I knew it, it still kind of relaxes me a little bit, a little bit more because I know now for sure that I have the seat for next year."

Antonelli was unsure about his future beyond 2026, although felt that both he and the team were happy to continue into 2027 so long as he provides the results.

He added that, with a year's experience, he was well aware that he could not endure a similar drop-off in form through 2026.

"I don't know, I race year by year, and I'm always trying to deliver the best results as possible," he said. "As I said before with the team, they obviously they want to work with me also in the future, and not only next year, but I need to perform as well.

"Their plan is to continue with me as well, probably beyond 2026 as well. But for me as a driver, I need to perform and I need to deliver the results, especially next year because I'll have a year under my belt and it's going to be a new regulation for everyone and a massive opportunity.

"If we have the car, it's going to be really important for me to really maximise the result and to really perform at my best, especially if I want the seat for '27 and beyond."