George Russell talks about Mercedes team orders, showing how important they are as Toto Wolff makes a big choice.
George Russell’s recent thoughts about team orders at Mercedes seem to back up Toto Wolff’s decision as the second half of the Formula 1 season gets underway.
Russell’s teammate, Kimi Antonelli, is currently leading the Drivers’ Championship after 11 races. There are 12 more races planned for the 2026 season, but that could change because of the conflict in the Middle East and possible race cancellations.
Antonelli has 219 points, while Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton is second with 169 points. Russell is in third with 160 points, after retiring early in the Belgian Grand Prix following a crash with Hamilton.
At the latest race in Hungary, Russell faced an engine problem at the start and dropped to 21st place. He managed to climb back up and finish seventh. He also retired from the lead in the Canadian Grand Prix, which Antonelli won.
During that Canadian weekend’s sprint race, the two Mercedes cars made contact, and Antonelli voiced his frustration over the radio. Toto Wolff replied, asking him to “focus on driving, please, and not on complaining.”
After Hungary, Mercedes made it clear that team orders only apply if one of their drivers can win the race. Deputy team principal Bradley Lord told reporters, “If a Mercedes can win, a Mercedes must win. The team comes first. The Constructors’ Championship is our main goal. We want the cars to be reliable and fast, so our drivers can do their best to win the Drivers’ Championship. But the key rule is: if a Mercedes can win, it doesn’t matter which driver, we’ll make sure the fastest car wins.”
It looks like both drivers are on the same page. After almost crashing at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, Russell shared his thoughts on team orders. “Winning for the team is what matters. It doesn’t matter which driver. We need to be smart teammates because the team wants to win.”
Antonelli gave a slightly different view before the Austrian Grand Prix. He said how they race might change depending on the situation. “If other teams are close, we’ll race carefully. But if it’s just me and him, we can race freely,” he said.