Mercedes plans to act after watching what George Russell and Kimi Antonelli did in Barcelona.
Just like last year when McLaren had a tense battle between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, Mercedes now faces a big decision of its own. Right now, teenage star Kimi Antonelli is leading the Formula 1 standings by a wide margin, ahead of Lewis Hamilton and his teammate George Russell.
Russell, who has more experience, has been struggling with engine problems, falling behind his impressive young teammate and finding himself in a tough spot. The two have even started playing mind games to get the upper hand in the Mercedes team, going as far as ignoring each other in the media room.
After Russell gained some points when Antonelli had to retire early in the Barcelona Grand Prix, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said it’s time to pick which driver he’ll back this season. The race looked promising for Russell, who got on the podium in an all-British top three, but he also got lucky when Antonelli’s car broke down shortly after passing him. Without that, Russell might have fallen even further behind.
Wolff admitted the internal fight cost them the race, hinting at the need to decide who should come first. “They raced hard against each other and lost valuable time, so we need to talk about this moving forward,” he said.
Russell, having been with Mercedes for five years and coming up through their system, might feel he deserves to be the lead driver. But Antonelli keeps breaking records and leads the standings by 50 points. Wolff could choose Russell for his experience or back Antonelli, hoping the young driver stays strong when Hamilton, known for fighting all season long, pushes hard.
Earlier in the year, Wolff stayed neutral, telling both drivers to focus on racing after their clash in Canada. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton seems to have settled his own team battle at Ferrari against Charles Leclerc. Before Barcelona, Hamilton sent a warning to his rivals and followed it up by winning his first race with Ferrari, shaking up the championship once again.