Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has indicated the German manufacturer may implement team orders between George Russell and Kimi Antonelli following their intense wheel-to-wheel battles during the Canadian Grand Prix weekend. The teammates engaged in aggressive duels during both Saturday’s Sprint race and Sunday’s main event, with several moments bringing them dangerously close to contact that could have resulted in a double retirement.
During the Sprint at Montreal, Antonelli’s forceful driving saw him cut across grass at Turn 1 and Turn 8 on the same lap while battling Russell for the lead, allowing Lando Norris to capitalize and move into second position. The situation escalated further in Sunday’s grand prix when the Italian rookie nearly collided with Russell at the final chicane after locking his brakes during their side-by-side battle, creating what Wolff described as an “uncomfortable” situation for the team.
Following discussions with both drivers after the Sprint, Mercedes opted not to intervene during the grand prix despite the close calls. The battle ultimately ended on lap 30 when Russell suffered a power unit failure, handing Antonelli a comfortable 38-lap run to his fourth consecutive victory. The Italian’s triumph made him the first driver in Formula 1 history to win his opening four grand prix starts in successive races, extending his championship lead over Russell to 43 points.
Wolff acknowledged the fine line between allowing competitive racing and protecting the team’s interests, explaining that future intervention would depend on specific circumstances. “It is easy to accept them fighting to a certain degree, but it is not always going to be the case that we were half a second faster than everybody behind,” Wolff told media including RacingNews365. “There could be a situation where we would maybe turn it down a notch.”
The team boss emphasized that while Mercedes supports hard racing between teammates, the priority remains securing maximum points for the constructor’s championship. “If there was a situation where we believe that the team’s points are at risk of being lost, or there was a situation where we were losing so much time to our competitors behind, then we would not be a millimetre hesistant of putting the handbrake on,” Wolff stated, suggesting team orders remain a viable option for future races.