Kimi Antonelli downplayed any possibility of a rivalry with George Russell in the fight for the Formula 1 title in 2026. The championship leader, the young Italian stated that he prefers to focus his efforts on his own performance, without worrying about a potential internal clash at Mercedes.
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The German team appears as the main force of the season so far, which raises expectations of a direct battle between its two drivers. With the dominance shown by the car, the possibility grows that Mercedes will experience its first internal fight for a title since the rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg between 2014 and 2016.
The Italian driver took the lead in the championship after winning the Japanese GP, a result that, combined with Russell’s fourth place, guaranteed him a nine-point advantage. With this, Antonelli also became the youngest driver to lead the standings in Formula 1 history, surpassing the record set by Hamilton in 2007 by nearly three years.
Despite the favorable scenario for a direct battle between teammates, Antonelli ensured he is not thinking about this type of situation: “No, to be fair, I’m not worrying about that. I’m just going to focus on myself, on what I need to do, trying to get everything right in terms of procedures, starts, and driving,” he stated.
The Italian acknowledged Russell’s strength and believes the championship fight will not be restricted only to Mercedes: “I know how strong George is, and it will certainly be very difficult. Additionally, I think Ferrari and McLaren will get closer, so it will be important to keep evolving and maintain a high level.”
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Antonelli also highlighted that he intends to take advantage of the break in April to evolve and come back even stronger: “I’m not focusing on that right now. I’m going to try to make the most of the break and see how I can improve in those areas to come back stronger,” he said.
The young driver also highlighted that the experience gained last season has been fundamental to his current performance: “I took a big step. Last year I went through a lot and it taught me much more than I expected. This is certainly helping this season,” he added.
Even though confident, Antonelli keeps his feet on the ground and recognizes there is still work to be done: “There is still a lot of work ahead, but I feel more in control of the situation. The car helps and I will try to be ready, because it’s an opportunity that doesn’t happen every day. I am very grateful for the car the team has given us so far, and I need to stay focused,” the Italian driver concluded.
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