Toto Wolff has warned the Mercedes driver he will never allow himself to feel that “this is all about me” amid a potential title challenge between team-mates George Russell and Kiimi Antonelli.
Mercedes dominated the first three races of the season to open a 45-point lead at the top of the constructors’ standings, but Antonelli leads Russell by just nine points at the top of the drivers’ standings.
The cancellation of races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia due to conflict in the Middle East has given rivals a long gap before this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix, giving them time to reduce Mercedes’ early advantage, but the Silver Arrows’ drivers remain favorites for the title.
In a virtual press conference last week, Wolff was asked how his experience managing the intense title battle between former drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg would help if Mercedes remained in front of its rivals throughout the year.
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Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli has won back-to-back Japanese GPs, becoming the youngest driver in history to lead an F1 title race.
“The strange thing about F1 is that two of your teammates are also your biggest rivals, but we’ve learned a lot over the last 10 years about how best to deal with these situations,” Wolff said.
“But ‘handling the best’ also means letting them race and acknowledging the fact that they race. There are certain values that we uphold within the team. The team is always bigger than the drivers.”
“That’s Mercedes, one of the most formidable brands in the world, the best car brand in the world. We race for the benefit of the 150,000 employees of a company that has been around for more than 120 years. And to have the opportunity to race and to be one of Mercedes’ select few racers also comes with the responsibility of racing for Mercedes.”
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George Russell furious at Toto Wolff on Mercedes team radio!
“And the moment a driver feels that this is all about him, that’s not a mindset that we would ever allow or accept within the team. And we’ve done that in the past. If it’s not clear, if that’s not happening, I’d rather just have one car driving.”
“But I don’t think we’ll ever get to that point because our drivers have been in the Mercedes family for so long and are part of that mindset, their philosophical approach and the heritage they represent.”
Antonelli: Expectations automatically change a little bit.
Russell won his opening match in Australia to confirm his pre-season status as clear title contender against Antonelli, but the Italian teenager fought back with back-to-back wins in China and Japan to secure a shock early advantage.
Wolff tried to downplay his chances of winning the title after Antonelli’s first race win, but the 19-year-old admits his expectations have changed after his strong start to 2026.
“I think it’s definitely been a better start than we all expected and expected, at least from my side, and definitely a very strong start to the season,” Antonelli said.
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David Croft and Martin Brundle discuss whether Kimi Antonelli could pose a real challenge to senior Mercedes team-mate George Russell?
“And definitely the expectations are automatically a little different now, but at the end of the day, I’m still trying to maintain the same mindset that I had for the first three races, just trying to stay focused on what I have to do, my goals, and just trying to put myself in the best possible position to achieve a great result.”
“What I don’t want to do is start thinking about the final outcome and the long-term outcome when obviously we’re in a good position.
“I just want to focus on the present and how to get the best performance every time I get in the car to get the best results.
“And I’m just trying to focus on the process and raise the bar little by little and raise the level of my game. Obviously George is very strong, so the competitors are going to come close. So I have to keep doing what I’m doing, but I’m just trying to raise the level little by little.”
Russell: We already knew Antonelli was ‘incredibly fast’
Russell said he was frustrated by issues out of his control, including losses to Antonelli in China and Japan, but expected the Italian to always “keep his head up.”
“I knew he was incredibly fast,” Russell told Sky Sports.
“The last two races have been a bit unlucky for me and I think that happens sometimes, but I knew he would keep me on my toes.”
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George Russell has expressed his excitement to take on Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli when the season resumes in Miami.
After joining Mercedes in 2022, Russell saw a relative slump in form for the Silver Arrows, with the team missing out on the title to Red Bull and McLaren in each of the four campaigns.
However, they have turned the tables on their rivals following significant regulation changes for 2026, and Russell hopes they can maintain the early-season advantage that allowed him and Antonelli to fight for wins.
“The difference last year was that even if we were 10 seconds or two behind each other (in qualifying), it was fourth or fifth place, whereas now we have this much of a buffer,” Russell said.
“We’ve started four times in the Chinese sprint as well, and we’ve won one and lost two each time. The first two were in my favor by about three tenths, and the last two were in his favor by a few tenths. And we were both still there (front row), so I hope that continues.”
“I’m really looking forward to getting back to Miami and getting back into shape. I’m looking forward to back-to-back race weekends as the season really heats up in Europe.”
F1 will resume with the second sprint weekend of the season, the Miami Grand Prix, from May 1-3, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports now – cancel anytime with no contract
