(Motorsport-Total.com) – An exciting internal team duel is brewing at Mercedes for 2026: George Russell versus Andrea Kimi Antonelli. After a dominant start to the season with victories in Australia and China, the young Italian is only just behind his more experienced teammate – and is thus putting him under pressure early on.
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At the latest since Antonelli’s victory at the Chinese Grand Prix and his pole position for Japan, it is clear: the rookie is not only fast, but also a serious challenger within his own team.
Button: Russell has experience on his side
For Jenson Button, the starting position is nevertheless clear. The 2009 world champion trusts Russell to control the internal duel. “I think he will manage it well,” Button explains. Russell’s experience in particular speaks for him. After all, he has already had to hold his own against greats like Lewis Hamilton.
Back then, the pressure was even different. “Everyone expected Lewis to be faster,” says Button. “Now it’s more the other way around – George is the experienced man.” Nevertheless, Button warns of Antonelli’s qualities. “Kimi is extremely fast,” he says. “And he is still very raw.”
Precisely this unpredictability could become a danger. “Sometimes as an experienced driver you ask yourself: How did he do that? It just happens – quite naturally.” It is exactly this mixture of talent and instinct that makes Antonelli so difficult to assess at the moment – and so dangerous for Russell in the internal comparison.
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Collins: Pressure as an opportunity for Russell
Bernie Collins also sees the duel as a decisive factor – but with a positive twist for Russell. “That can be an advantage,” she explains. “If George approaches it correctly, it keeps him at an extremely high level.” Without direct pressure, there is a risk of slacking off – but with Antonelli breathing down his neck, that is impossible.
“As soon as George makes a mistake, Kimi is there,” says Collins. “That forces him to constantly stay at the limit.” A first example of this was provided by qualifying in Suzuka. While Antonelli secured pole position, Russell struggled with balance problems and excessive oversteer after set-up changes.
This shows: even small weaknesses are punished immediately. In such a close internal team duel, there is hardly any room for error – especially not when a rookie is driving in this form. With Mercedes’ current dominance, the fight for the world championship could in any case become an internal affair.
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