Mercedes had to act behind the scenes after tensions rose between Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell at the Formula 1 Canadian GP. The two drivers had intense battles during the weekend in Montreal, including two contacts in the Sprint, a situation that generated irritated messages from Antonelli over the radio.
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The episode led the German team to internally review their rules for disputes between teammates before the main race on Sunday. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff was directly involved in the conversation to set limits and align the expected behavior of the drivers in on-track battles.
Bradley Lord, the team’s deputy director, revealed details of the meeting held after the Sprint. According to him, the meeting had a constructive tone despite the tension created by the incidents between the two drivers. “After the Sprint, there was a conversation with Toto and the two drivers about how the race had gone and how they wanted to fight for positions from then on,” he said on Mercedes’ Nu Silver Arrows podcast.
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Lord also said that Antonelli compared the meeting to a visit to the school principal’s office. “Kimi said it felt a bit like being called to the principal’s office. But it was a very friendly and productive conversation,” he explained. According to the executive, the message conveyed by the drivers was clear: “Trust us to race against each other. That’s what we were hired for, and we can do it.”
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