No Team Orders for Mercedes’ Championship Leaders
Toto Wolff, team principal of Mercedes, has confirmed that Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, who lead the Formula One world championship driving a dominant Mercedes car, are currently "absolutely off the leash" to race each other freely.
Following Antonelli’s second consecutive victory on Sunday, with Russell finishing fourth, the 19-year-old Italian now holds a nine-point lead over his teammate in the championship standings.
Wolff emphasized that there are no plans to impose team orders between the two drivers unless it becomes necessary in the later stages of the season.
“We’re three races in, the car is good so we need to continue to do our job and give them a tool that they can continue to win or fight for the positions,”
“Then towards the end of the season, we’re going to see how the points fall and whether anything needs to be done at that stage.
“Absolutely off the leash both of them, as long as there’s obviously this kind of margin between the cars we are fine.”
Mercedes’ Dominance and Upcoming Break
Mercedes has won all three races this season. The sport is now entering an unexpected break after the recent Grand Prix, with the next race scheduled in Miami in five weeks.
Russell initially led the championship, but Antonelli, now in only his second season in Formula One, has since taken the lead. His victory at Suzuka marked him as the first Italian to achieve consecutive F1 wins since Alberto Ascari in 1953, and he is currently the youngest leader of the world championship.
Russell’s Challenges and Outlook
Russell has faced several setbacks during the opening rounds. He experienced a mechanical issue during qualifying in China. Additionally, in Japan, the team made setup changes before qualifying that adversely affected his car’s handling. During the race, he was also unlucky with the timing of a safety car deployment just after his pit stop.
Despite these difficulties, the 28-year-old driver remains optimistic about his prospects for the rest of the season and expects to return stronger in Miami.
“At the moment, it is just one thing after the other,”
“Racing can go for you, but it can also go against you too, and at the moment, every issue we are having is on my side of the garage and I am the one going through that pain.
“Sometimes people have problems in practice. We have not had a single issue in practice but I have had problems in qualifying instead. It is the luck of the draw with these new cars. But it is race three of 22 and I am not concerned at all. It is a long year, and I know I have got what it takes to bounce back. I won’t dwell on it.”
