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George Russell has made Mercedes’ position on team orders very clear
Russell said Mercedes should focus on the W17, as he trails Kimi Antonelli by 53 points after Saturday’s Sprint.
- Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff ordered George Russell to let teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli pass during the final laps of Sunday's Dutch Grand Prix, securing second place for Antonelli.
- Wolff defended the decision as necessary to prevent inter-team fighting that could allow Ferrari drivers to capitalize, stating, "We're not going to lose time fighting with each other and have two Ferraris breathing down our neck."
- Russell initially questioned the order over team radio but later accepted it, saying, "Kimi was ahead of me anyway, so he deserved to finish ahead," while Antonelli praised Russell as a "great team player."
- Wolff emphasized that Mercedes prioritizes championship results over individual PR considerations, with Antonelli currently holding a 59-point advantage in the 2026 standings over Lewis Hamilton.
- Antonelli faces a grid penalty at his home Italian Grand Prix in two weeks as Mercedes swaps his power unit to address reliability concerns during his quest to become the youngest Formula One champion.
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Associated Press News+14 Reposted by 14 other sources
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff defends ordering Russell to give up 2nd place to Antonelli
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has defended the use of team orders in the Formula 1 title fight after George Russell protested when he was asked to give up second place in the Dutch Grand Prix to teammate Kimi Antonelli.
·New York, United States
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Third place for George Russell in the entertaining Netherlands-GP: The British must bow to Norris and Antonelli, also because Mercedes asked him to make room for Kimi. Which was completely unnecessary.
Antonelli and Russell back Mercedes team orders after P2-P3 at Zandvoort; strategy split, VSC impact, Hamilton pressure, Norris dominates, upgrades targeted
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Total News Sources22
Leaning Left5Leaning Right3Center8Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Center
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources are Center
50% Center
L 31%
C 50%
R 19%
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