Change of tactics at Mercedes: team restricts duels and Russell sees Hamilton as a big threat
The Mercedes team, which dominated the last few seasons in the drivers’ and constructors’ championships, is now observing the remarkable advance of Ferrari, which propelled Lewis Hamilton to second place in the World Championship. Given this scenario, the German team intends to prevent the repetition of incidents like the one that occurred at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, where George Russell and Kimi Antonelli clashed on the track, allowing the Ferrari driver to get closer to victory, which he actually achieved.
In statements made last Thursday (25), Kimi Antonelli reported that he and George Russell had a meeting with Toto Wolff, the team boss, to discuss the matter. The Italian driver highlighted that, from now on, Mercedes will adopt team orders to favor the fastest competitor if an external opponent threatens the possibility of victory. This change represents a significant change in Mercedes’ philosophy, which historically allowed free competition between its drivers, signaling the intensity of the current fight for the championship.
Team order will be a priority in risk situations
“We held a meeting on the topic, and Toto expressed himself very clearly”, detailed Antonelli. “If we find ourselves again in a scenario similar to that of Barcelona, under strong pressure from opposing teams, the priority will be to apply a team order, especially if one of our cars presents greater performance. However, if the internal dispute takes place without the threat of a rival, the drivers will be free to compete, as was observed in Montreal”, explained the young driver.
The Gilles Villeneuve racetrack in Montreal witnessed one of the most intense moments of rivalry between Antonelli and Russell this season. The two drivers carried out a series of overtakes and wheel-to-wheel collisions until the thirtieth lap, when the Briton, who was leading the race, was forced to abandon due to a battery failure. Despite the time lost during direct confrontations, the Mercedes cars did not face any type of threat from competitors at any point during the race.
Analysis of Hamilton’s victory at the Barcelona GP
Unlike Canada, in Barcelona, while Mercedes’ teammates fought for positions and followed a strategy of two pit stops, Ferrari opted for a more daring tactic, with three stops for Lewis Hamilton. Under normal circumstances, the loss of time caused by the rivalry between Antonelli and Russell, combined with the seven-time champion’s fast pace, would have already intensified the fight for the lead in the final laps. However, the Ferrari driver was favored by the moment of a virtual safety car and secured victory comfortably.
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After his triumph in Barcelona, Lewis Hamilton now has 115 points in the championship, while Kimi Antonelli leads with 156. George Russell, who saw his score drop to 106, occupying third place, expressed his opinion on the seven-time champion’s recent performance and expressed that he sees both the driver and the Ferrari team as “big threats” in the race for this season’s titles.
Russell highlights Hamilton as a formidable opponent
“It is extremely gratifying to watch Lewis return to his best form,” said Russell. “This moment illustrates the complexity of Formula 1, where the vehicles are intricate, the tires require a lot of attention, the power unit is sophisticated, and all these elements need to operate in perfect harmony. The failure of a single component prevents the driver from reaching his maximum potential. People underestimated him last year and even in 2024, a period in which we were teammates”, began the Briton.
“They questioned whether he was too old, or whether other issues were affecting him. However, he has emerged and dominated in four of the last five races,” continued George Russell. “This just reinforces that the ability to drive is not lost overnight. You need to have self-confidence, a cohesive team, the ideal set-up of the car, the understanding of the tires; everything needs to align. When these factors come together, the result is spectacular. It’s a beautiful demonstration, and that’s exactly what he’s experiencing. Certainly, he represents a huge threat, and Ferrari is also a huge threat,” he concluded.
Teams prepare updates for the Austrian GP
For the eagerly awaited Austrian Grand Prix, both Ferrari and Mercedes are preparing to introduce significant upgrades to their respective single-seaters.
The Maranello team, for example, is expected to bring “minor” innovations to the engine. This measure already takes advantage of the aid policy for deficient engines, recently implemented by the International Automobile Federation (FIA).
On the other hand, Mercedes has made improvements to its software and applied fixes to the battery pack. This system has been the team’s main concern this year, being the reason for both George Russell’s abandonment in Canada and the interruption of Kimi Antonelli’s race in Barcelona.
