Photo: Mercedes F1
Antonelli: Neither Russell nor I want to “upset” Wolff amid Mercedes title battle
Kimi Antonelli says both he and George Russell are determined not to “upset” Mercedes boss Toto Wolff as tensions rise inside the team during an intense intra-team title fight.
Kimi Antonelli has moved to ease tensions inside Mercedes as he and George Russell continue their growing intra-team battle for this year’s Formula 1 world championship.
The 19-year-old Italian leads the standings by 43 points over his teammate after a standout start to his rookie season, but the atmosphere within the Brackley-based squad has become more tense following the Canadian Grand Prix weekend. In Montreal, Russell forced Antonelli wide at Turn 1 during the sprint, with light contact sending the Italian across the grass.
Antonelli immediately reacted over team radio, calling the move “very naughty” and pushing for a penalty, insisting he had been fully alongside.
The incident prompted intervention from Toto Wolff, who twice came onto the radio during the sprint to calm the situation and urged Antonelli to focus on his driving rather than complaints.
A post-race debrief was subsequently held with both drivers and Wolff, aimed at clarifying the team’s internal rules of engagement as the title battle between teammates continues to intensify.
Ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, championship leader Antonelli also addressed the potential tension between the two drivers on track.
"We are both in an excellent position, we both have a great car, and we both want to win," said Antonelli in an interview with Sport.de.
"During the races, we naturally want to treat each other fairly, we don't want to cause chaos in the team, and of course, we don't want to upset Toto," he added.
