Mid-season review: Russell confirms his leadership position at Mercedes
Having reached the halfway point of the season at Silverstone, it's time to take stock of the teams' performance. On the Mercedes side, both drivers are giving satisfaction, even if Antonelli is conceding several tenths to his British team-mate.
Calm before the storm at Mercedes? The Mercedes team is at the center of the news due to persistent rumors surrounding a potential arrival of Max Verstappen. Such a decision could disrupt the internal balance of the Brackley team, as it would necessarily involve the departure of one of the two current drivers. While George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli express their confidence about their future, their on-track performances could weigh in the balance. After twelve races, it’s time for an assessment. And for now, Russell is clearly leading the way against his young teammate.
The Briton, who is in his seventh season in Formula 1 – his fourth with Mercedes – is having a solid campaign. He has scored 70% of the team’s points (147 compared to 63 for Antonelli). Apart from a more difficult weekend in Miami, where he seemed off the pace, the former Williams driver clearly dominates his young Italian teammate, both in qualifying (11-1) and in races (12-0). He even secured a superb victory in Canada, preceded by a pole position on Saturday. A performance that his teammate couldn’t replicate despite a pole in the sprint race in Miami.
Inexperience and bad luck for Antonelli
The gap between the two men is largely explained by Antonelli’s lack of experience. Like Oscar Piastri in 2023, the young Italian faces a well-established British driver within the team. However, unlike the Australian, Antonelli arrived in F1 with a significantly lighter single-seater background. It was only in 2021 that he made his single-seater debut in Central Europe. Driven by his talent, he quickly climbed the ranks, notably skipping F3 to move directly to F2 last season, and then to Formula 1 this year. Although his arrival raised questions, the young driver quickly silenced doubts with his calmness and maturity.
The former German and Italian F4 champion was not spared from bad luck, especially during the final races. After scoring points in five of the first six races, he only achieved one top 10 result in the last six (a podium in Canada with a 3rd place). He also experienced four retirements. While he acknowledged his responsibility in the collision with Verstappen in Austria, two mechanical issues forced him to retire in Imola and Spain before Isack Hadjar hit him at Silverstone.
A harmony disturbed by the arrival of Verstappen?
The observation is clear: both drivers are having a convincing season and are showing a good level of performance when the car is competitive and reliable. The atmosphere seems harmonious for now within the German team. But what will happen if Max Verstappen joins Mercedes?
Toto Wolff does not hide his desire to attract the four-time world champion. A potential arrival with significant consequences, both for the drivers – both out of contract at the end of 2025 – and for the team. At Mercedes, it’s time for reflection: the team’s short-term future could well depend on this decision.
