Toto Wolff shares how Mercedes switched their plan to help Kimi Antonelli or George Russell win the F1 title.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has shared that the team will change its strategy to help either Kimi Antonelli or George Russell win their first Drivers’ Championship in the second half of the 2026 F1 season.
Antonelli is currently leading with 219 points, 50 points ahead of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton. The 18-year-old has won six out of 11 races so far, including five in a row from China to Monaco. A mechanical problem in Spain forced him to retire while in third place, and a wheel issue at Silverstone kept him out of the points, stopping his lead from being even bigger.
On the other hand, Russell has 160 points and is third in the standings. He’s had some bad luck too, like retiring from the lead in Canada because of a battery problem, and facing engine trouble in Hungary that left him starting 21st before climbing back to seventh.
Mercedes started the season strong in Australia, thanks in part to their powerful engine. It wasn’t until the seventh race in Monaco that Ferrari’s Hamilton finally took a win, with Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris also winning races since then. This has closed the gap to Mercedes, but Wolff says that’s partly on purpose.
Because teams are bringing many upgrades due to new rules this year, Mercedes has been saving some of their best updates for the second half of the season. Wolff admits they have to be very smart about when to use their upgrades.
“Instead of adding upgrades at every race like before, we have to be more careful,” he said. “Sometimes you’ll get ahead of others with upgrades, then the competition catches up. We’re keeping track of what we can bring and, with the cost cap, we’re in a good spot. We’re aiming to use more upgrades in the later races and hope it’s enough.”
With two Mercedes drivers in the running for the title after the summer break, the team has set rules about team orders. Deputy team principal Bradley Lord told reporters that if a Mercedes driver can win a race, the team will make sure a Mercedes wins. But they’ll still be cautious if the drivers are further back in the pack.
“The simple rule is, if a Mercedes can win, a Mercedes must win,” he said. “The team comes first, and winning the Constructors’ Championship is our main goal. We want to win both championships and give ourselves the best chance by getting both cars to finish as high as possible, which hasn’t always happened this year.”