Rosberg backs Mercedes team orders that forced Russell aside for Antonelli at Zandvoort

Nico Rosberg has backed Mercedes’ use of team orders at the Dutch Grand Prix, after George Russell was instructed to yield to team-mate Kimi Antonelli in the closing stages of a chaotic race at Zandvoort.

The grand prix had already been disrupted on the opening lap when Max Verstappen suffered a heavy crash that triggered a red flag. Following the restart, a late virtual safety car split Mercedes’ strategy: Antonelli pitted for soft tyres while Russell stayed out to protect track position. With fresher rubber, Antonelli quickly closed on his team-mate, prompting the Mercedes pitwall to order the swap.

Russell pushed back over team radio, arguing the move risked throwing away a double podium. He then had to repel the Ferraris of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc in the final laps to hold on to third place.

2016 world champion Rosberg, speaking on the situation, was unequivocal in his support for the team’s call. “The team is under threat, and the two drivers have to drive for the team,” he said. “In my time also, I had to let Lewis past once in Monaco, even though we were fighting for the championship against each other. Here it’s the same situation — the team result was under threat by the two Ferraris behind, so you have to apply team orders, and they have to follow them. I think it was fair play. George did a fantastic job to hold on to that third place.”

Rosberg also acknowledged the difficulty of the decision from the pitwall’s perspective. “The expectation at the time was that George was really going to struggle with pace and that the Ferraris would therefore threaten not only his position but also Kimi Antonelli’s position if Kimi was stuck behind George,” he explained. “So it really risks both positions at the same time. It’s a tough one, it’s really a horrible decision to make. I would not want to be in their position. And if I was in George’s place, it would hurt so much. It would be a disaster. But it’s somewhat understandable because I do know the team rules very precisely.”

Russell, for his part, accepted the logic once the chequered flag had fallen. “Kimi was ahead of me anyway, so he deserved to finish ahead,” the Briton said. “Of course, when you’re in the race, you want to fight for every single position.”

The episode reopens a familiar debate about the tension between individual ambition and collective strategy inside a top Formula 1 team — one Rosberg knows from personal experience, having navigated a similarly charged dynamic alongside Hamilton during his own championship-winning campaign.