Wolff says Mercedes could only risk Antonelli because of Russell

Toto Wolff told the Mercedes factory in an email that the team could only take the calculated risk of promoting rookie Kimi Antonelli because it already had George Russell, according to deputy team principal Bradley Lord, speaking on the NU Silver Arrows Radio Show. Lord said the team recognised Russell as a driver capable of winning world championships and stressed that this should not be lost amid the excitement around Antonelli's development through the junior programme.

Lord described 2026 as both the most successful and the most challenging and disappointing season of Russell's Formula 1 career. Russell won the season-opening Australian Grand Prix and the Chinese sprint, but suffered several setbacks, most of them outside his control. Lord said he reminded Russell after the Sao Paulo Grand Prix that the constructors' title was still his first championship as a full-time Mercedes driver.