Mercedes started the 2026 Formula 1 season on a high note, with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli competing for victories and starring in the team’s internal battle. Russell won the Australian GP, the first race of the year, while Antonelli responded with consecutive triumphs in China and Japan, taking the lead in the world championship with a nine-point advantage over his teammate.
Read more Norris reveals he received advice from a golfer for 2025 title fight
With this scenario, team principal Toto Wolff reinforced the team’s philosophy, but also issued a warning about possible consequences if the rivalry crosses limits: “What is peculiar about Formula 1 is that the two teammates are also the biggest competitors to each other,” he told the press.
“And we have learned a lot over the last ten years or so about how to deal with these situations better. But ‘dealing better’ also means letting them race and acknowledging the fact that they are competing. There are certain values that we fight for within the team. The team is always bigger than the drivers. It is Mercedes, one of the most formidable brands in the world, the best car brand on the planet.
Read more Raphael Reis hosts Felipe Fraga for the special TCR Brazil round in Interlagos
“We race for 150,000 people who work for us. A company that has existed for over 120 years. And, you know, having the opportunity to race, to be one of the few selected drivers for Mercedes, also brings a responsibility: to race for Mercedes. The moment a driver feels that everything revolves around them, that is not a mentality we will ever allow or accept in the team,” declared the Austrian.
Read more F1: Sainz talks about Bearman’s crash and says: «It was only a matter of time until it happened»
