Mercedes on Antonelli-Russell rivalry in 2026 fight

Mercedes say Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell have kept a good relationship in the 2026 title fight, with Antonelli leading Russell by 59 points.

Mercedes say Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell have maintained a good relationship while both remain in the 2026 drivers' title fight, as reported by Formula1.com. Antonelli leads the standings on 219 points, with Lewis Hamilton second on 169 and Russell third on 160, putting the two Mercedes drivers 59 points apart.

Russell's campaign has been affected by a series of problems. BBC Sport reported that Russell said he had needed to be "the most resilient I've ever been", and also reported that his Spa retirement left him 50 points behind Antonelli at that stage. BBC Sport further reported that Russell called a straight-line performance issue a serious problem for his title bid.

Autosport also reported that Russell had an engine software issue that contributed to a slow start in Hungary, after a water leak in qualifying led to an engine change without a grid penalty. Antonelli is in his second Formula 1 season and has five wins from 33 entries for Mercedes, while Russell has seven wins from 161 starts.