Toto Wolff has hinted that Mercedes could rethink its method of letting George Russell and Kimi Antonelli race one another after the Barcelona Grand Prix, with Lewis Hamilton rising as a real championship risk.
Mercedes loved a really robust begin to the 2026 System 1 season, successful the primary six grands prix, however the streak was stopped by Hamilton and Ferrari. Antonelli nonetheless leads the championship, however the Silver Arrows have additionally suffered from reliability points. With each Russell and Antonelli shedding factors following their retirements in Canada and Barcelona respectively, Wolff sees Hamilton firmly again within the struggle.
The veteran now sits 41 factors behind Antonelli and 9 forward of Russell within the standings, helped by Ferrari’s improved type following its main Barcelona improve.
Wolff believes Mercedes may have challenged for victory in Barcelona, as he reckons Antonelli had sufficient tempo to beat Hamilton, however this will have been compromised by the actual fact Antonelli needed to battle his team-mate.
Wolff, who estimated Mercedes “misplaced 5 – 6 seconds” of race time “with the 2 of them preventing”, says the staff should talk about whether or not it ought to intervene in future to forestall rivals from benefiting.
“That’s one thing we must take a look at for future races when a brand new competitor is available in,” he mentioned. “As a result of when they’re preventing one another it’s high-quality, it may be very sporting, however if you find yourself preventing towards one other automotive, then typically you will have to let the quicker one by.”
Wolff indicated the staff will maintain inner discussions on the subject.
Toto Wolff, Mercedes
Photograph by: Simon Galloway / LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
Having certified third, Antonelli initially adopted Russell and Hamilton at Barcelona. Whereas the Ferrari driver switched to another technique, Antonelli progressively closed in on his Mercedes team-mate round half-distance.
Mercedes selected to not intrude in that battle, though it did warn Antonelli to watch out as he was vulnerable to receiving a time penalty for repeated track-limits violations. The staff additionally reminded each drivers that preventing one another was serving to Lando Norris, who was chasing them from behind.
Antonelli, who appeared to have higher tempo than Russell on the laborious tyre, finally discovered a well beyond with 5 laps remaining. By then, nonetheless, Hamilton was already too far up the highway.
“George had an unbelievable starting of the race,” the Austrian mentioned throughout his media session after the race. “It regarded like all people was standing nonetheless behind him. However then the tempo fell away. And the opposite two stints, clearly Kimi had the benefit. And we did not intrude in them preventing, as a result of that is how we have at all times raced.
“Nevertheless it’s a state of affairs we have to look into for the long run, with each drivers, find out how to deal with a state of affairs the place there is a tempo differential – if we’re preventing for a victory, [and] on the danger of shedding a victory.
“And that is going to be an fascinating dialogue. However at all times completely clear to the very best curiosity of the staff.”
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Photograph by: Rudy Carezzevoli / Getty Photographs
Wolff: “I might somewhat not struggle” Hamilton
Hamilton’s type has come as a shock to many this yr after the seven-time world champion struggled throughout his first season with Ferrari. However after failing to attain a single podium in 2025, he has already completed within the high three in China, Monaco and Canada earlier than claiming victory in Barcelona.
Wolff, who labored with Hamilton for greater than a decade, has little question his former driver could make life tough for Mercedes this yr.
“I might somewhat not struggle with him for a title as a result of I do know what he is able to,” he mentioned. “If he smells blood, he goes. I’ve seen it a few years the place all of the sudden the Lewis Hamilton practice began to go after which it’s extremely tough to cease it.
“You see on the finish of the highway you’ve gotten 25 factors [swing in the standings] and it is vast open [for the title fight].
“That is why we will not afford to not end and we have to simply preserve placing efficiency on the automotive and on the facility unit, not make errors, be intelligent with the technique and keep completely on it.”
Rosberg: You drive collectively for the staff’s win
One other former driver of Wolff’s, Nico Rosberg, believes Mercedes could have been too truthful to Russell in Barcelona and too reluctant to make use of staff orders to maximise Antonelli’s probabilities of successful.
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Photograph by: Bryn Lennon / System 1 through Getty Photographs
The German recalled that in his personal time alongside Hamilton at Mercedes, the staff’s pursuits at all times took precedence each time the drivers had been preventing one another.
He cited the 2016 Monaco Grand Prix, when he was requested to let Hamilton by in an effort to enable his team-mate to chase down Daniel Ricciardo. Regardless of being in a championship battle with Hamilton, Rosberg moved apart as a result of he lacked the tempo to problem the Purple Bull.
Rosberg believes Mercedes ought to have adopted the identical method in Barcelona.
“Mercedes was too thoughtful of George,” Rosberg mentioned in a dialog with Ralf Schumacher on Sky Germany after the race. “Usually, even again in my day, it’s at all times like this: as quickly because the staff dangers shedding the victory, you drive collectively for the staff’s win.
“And Mercedes truly may have and may have achieved that earlier at present, in hindsight – but it surely’s at all times simpler to evaluate after the actual fact.
“There isn’t a primary [driver] or quantity two. It’s additionally approach too early [for the team to decide that]. That’s a really clear rule, irrespective of the racing state of affairs: if the staff dangers shedding the victory, then it’s important to drive collectively for the win.
“That was the case in our time too. I waved Lewis previous in Monaco, keep in mind? I used to be second, he was third. Ricciardo was pulling away within the Purple Bull. I waved him previous, regardless that we had been in a world championship battle.”
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