Mercedes refuses to favour Antonelli over Russell despite 59-point gap in 2026 title race

Mercedes will not install Kimi Antonelli as a protected number one driver despite the 18-year-old holding a 59-point lead over teammate George Russell and a 50-point cushion over Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari with 12 rounds of the 2026 season remaining.

Deputy team principal Bradley Lord laid out the team’s position clearly ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix: “If a Mercedes can win the race, a Mercedes must win the race. We don’t mind which of the two cars it is.”

Antonelli has been the revelation of the new regulation cycle, claiming six of Mercedes’ eight race victories from the opening 11 rounds — a haul that has left the Silver Arrows 72 points clear of Ferrari in the constructors’ standings. Russell, who entered the season as the pre-season favourite, has managed just two wins and now finds his title hopes described by the team as hanging by a thread.

The calls for Mercedes to formally back Antonelli have grown louder partly because of what unfolded in 2025, when McLaren’s refusal to prioritise either Oscar Piastri or eventual champion Lando Norris allowed Max Verstappen to mount a late Red Bull challenge. Mercedes appears determined not to repeat that dynamic — but equally unwilling to write Russell off prematurely.

“We’ve seen the fight swing all the way out to the point where it was being written that there was only one possible winner of the championship, then in the space of three races we’ve seen that swing completely,” Lord said. “It’s far too early to even be thinking like that.”

The team’s stated priority is the constructors’ title — its first since 2021 — with Lord emphasising reliability and pace as the twin pillars of that pursuit. “Keep the cars fast and then enable the drivers to give it their best shot for winning the drivers’ championship,” he added.

A drivers’ crown for either man would also end Mercedes’ wait since Hamilton’s record-equalling seventh title in 2020, adding an extra layer of significance to whichever Silver Arrows driver ultimately prevails. For now, the team insists both remain in the hunt.