Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli revealed he demanded clarity from team principal Toto Wolff regarding the squad’s engagement rules following his contentious Sprint race battle with teammate George Russell at the Canadian Grand Prix. The Italian driver’s request came after a heated on-track encounter that nearly resulted in contact between the two Mercedes drivers during Saturday’s shortened race.
The drama unfolded on lap six when Antonelli attempted to overtake Russell around the outside of turns one and two, only to be forced onto the grass. Later in the same lap at turns eight and nine, Antonelli hit a bump on the inside line and again found himself sliding through the grass, ultimately losing position to Lando Norris’s McLaren. The frustrated rookie’s radio complaints drew a sharp rebuke from Wolff, who told him to “concentrate on the driving please, and not on the radio moaning.”
Speaking to media including RacingNews365 after the Sprint, Antonelli explained his desire for clearer guidelines from team management. “For sure, I think probably we just need a bit of clarity, and then once it’s clear, then it’s all going to be fine,” he stated. “I think, definitely, I need to probably ask again. But the main thing for the team is that there’s no contact, that we don’t crash into each other, which in the end, was very close.”
The 18-year-old acknowledged the emotional intensity of the moment while emphasizing the team’s priority of avoiding contact. “That’s the most important thing for the team. Also, as a driver, you don’t want to crash into your own team-mate,” Antonelli said. “Emotions were very high in the moment, and obviously I was very annoyed, but I just need to recheck, and for sure we’re going to talk about it, and we’re going to clarify that.”
Following qualifying, where Antonelli finished second behind Russell, the Italian confirmed that his discussions with Wolff had resolved the matter. “We had a discussion, and we clarified, and now it’s all good,” he summarized. “So we’ve reviewed, and we had a chat with Toto, and it’s all good now.” The resolution suggests Mercedes has established clearer protocols for intra-team racing as both drivers continue to compete for points in their respective championship campaigns.