Mercedes does not intend to favor Kimi Antonelli in the fight for the drivers’ championship in Formula 1 in 2026, at least for now. Even with the Italian leading the drivers’ championship, the team stated that its priority remains winning the Constructors’ Championship.
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This position was confirmed by the team’s deputy director, Bradley Lord, in a conversation with a select group of journalists. According to the executive, it is still early to think about team orders aimed exclusively at the drivers’ championship, especially given the recent changes in the balance of the competition.
Lord cited the 2025 season as an example, when McLaren chose not to favor Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri. Despite having already secured the constructors’ title at the Singapore GP, the team saw Max Verstappen come very close to winning the drivers’ championship, finishing the season just two points behind Norris.
This year, Mercedes is in a similar scenario. Antonelli leads the championship, while George Russell is still in the fight. At the same time, Lewis Hamilton appears in second place in the standings, creating the possibility that the division of points between the two Mercedes drivers benefits the Ferrari driver in the title fight.
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Even so, Lord made it clear that the team’s philosophy remains unchanged: “The principle is simple, if a Mercedes car can win the race, it should win the race. That comes first. The team comes first and the Constructors’ Championship is our main goal,” he said.
The executive added that Mercedes intends to fight for both championships but believes the best way to achieve this goal is to get both cars to the finish in the best possible positions: “We want to win both championships. We will maximize our chances by keeping the cars fast and reliable so the drivers can compete for the drivers’ title. We don’t care which of the two cars wins. We will do what is necessary to ensure that the most competitive Mercedes can win every Sunday,” he concluded.
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