Mercedes title fight: Antonelli leads Russell in 2026

Andrea Kimi Antonelli leads George Russell by 25 points at Mercedes after Silverstone, with several outlets focusing on their 2026 F1 title fight.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli heads the 2026 drivers' championship on 179 points, with Mercedes team-mate George Russell second on 154. BBC Sport reported that the contest between the two Mercedes drivers was a focus of discussion on its Chequered Flag podcast after the British Grand Prix.

Autosport and Motorsport.com reported that Russell considered the 25-point gap after Silverstone broadly in line with performance, while also questioning whether bad luck had been shared evenly through the season. Those reports said Antonelli suffered a broken wheel shield late in the British Grand Prix.

Motorsport.com also reported that Mercedes was investigating a top-speed issue on Russell's car in British Grand Prix qualifying, where he was nearly four tenths slower than Antonelli. Russell has seven Formula 1 wins from 161 starts, while Antonelli has five wins, five poles and 10 podiums from 33 entries.