People worry about a ‘civil war’ at Mercedes after a controversial team order given to George Russell
The team order decision involving George Russell and Kimi Antonelli at the Dutch Grand Prix has raised worries about a possible ‘civil war’ within Mercedes as we look toward the 2026 season. Russell followed Mercedes’ instructions to let his faster teammate Antonelli, who had fresher tires, pass him and take second place near the end of the race in Zandvoort.
Antonelli finished second behind the winner, Lando Norris, while Russell held off the charging Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to secure third place on the podium.
During the race, Russell questioned the team’s decision over the radio, wondering if allowing Antonelli through might cost them a double podium finish. He also asked why Antonelli was allowed to pull away instead of staying close behind so Russell could use his overtake mode while defending against Hamilton.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said the call was ‘completely normal’ because Antonelli was already ahead before the pit stop during a late virtual safety car. “Today wasn’t a hard decision because Kimi was running second, clearly ahead of George, so we just kept that order after the stop,” Wolff told PlanetF1. “We would have done the same the other way around too.”
Even though Russell seemed unsure on the radio, he supported the team order in public. He said, “We’ve always agreed as a team that when we’re on different strategies, we won’t fight and will swap positions if needed. That’s been our rule. Could I have kept him behind? Maybe. But I also could have ended up fifth. In the end, he earned P2, and P3 was fair for me. It’s a long season.”
Sky Sports F1 presenter Natalie Pinkham, writing for Top Gear, feels that tensions at Mercedes might be building toward a team split. She wrote, “George finally has a strong car and his best chance at the title, but Antonelli is ready to take over. It reminds us how tough F1 can be — nothing is guaranteed. George has done everything right: staying patient and focused, even when things got tough.”
Pinkham added, “George has made smart choices, gained trust, but still faces a big challenge at a key moment. We saw a shift last year from Oscar to Lando winning the title, so George will hope for a similar chance — it’s a long season. Mercedes has always let its drivers race and Toto insists there’s no number one driver. They learned the hard way when Hamilton and Rosberg crashed out in Spain 2016. Will Toto have to handle a team fight? It’s definitely getting close.”