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Former Red Bull Formula 1 team principal Christian Horner believes rising star Andrea Kimi Antonelli has fully earned the right to be Mercedes' undisputed number one driver following his commanding 2026 campaign.
At just 20 years of age and in only his second season in the championship, the Italian holds a remarkable 102-point lead over teammate George Russell with six rounds remaining. Antonelli can wrap up the world title as early as this weekend's United States Grand Prix on the back of 14 podium finishes, including eight race wins. That dominant run has completely eclipsed Russell, who entered the season as the pre-title favourite.
According to Horner, Antonelli is the man Mercedes must throw their full weight behind if they face a sustained challenge from rival teams. Team hierarchy and driver favouritism have historically been central to championship success. Horner himself firmly applied that philosophy at Red Bull between 2005 and 2025—first around Sebastian Vettel and later Max Verstappen, with both securing four world titles apiece for the team.
That contrasts with McLaren's approach last season, where equal status between Oscar Piastri and eventual champion Lando Norris nearly gifted the title to Verstappen. Horner also pointed to the 1986 campaign as a historical precedent. Williams possessed the dominant FW11 that year, but Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet took points off one another, handing the drivers' crown to McLaren's Alain Prost after Mansell suffered a dramatic tyre blowout at the season finale in Australia.
"It's impossible to please everyone all the time. You have to be honest and ask what the team's primary objectives are. Ultimately, the team always comes first, and the drivers are effectively fulfilling their contracts. It's unrealistic to promise both of them that they can win the championship. There always comes a point where one driver establishes superiority. Both start with equal opportunity and identical equipment, but respect and top billing are earned out on track. Kimi Antonelli is doing exactly that right now. If it turns into a close fight against an external rival, Mercedes will have to take a firm stance. Otherwise, they risk throwing away the title, just as Williams did with Mansell and Piquet against Prost all those years ago," Horner told Autosport.
Red Bull's commitment to backing a clear frontrunner stemmed from the 2010 season, when frequent on-track friction between Vettel and Mark Webber almost allowed Ferrari's Fernando Alonso to snatch the crown. From 2011 onwards, Vettel established a clear upper hand over the Australian, a dynamic Verstappen later mirrored against all of his teammates.
"In the early years, we were a young outfit just beginning to win, and all the pressure and soaring expectations fell on our shoulders. The media scrutiny is immense, everything is analysed under a microscope, and the main thing is staying true to your principles. You cannot satisfy everyone; you do what is best for the collective. That was my job—I was hired to deliver top results for Red Bull Racing, and that meant winning, plain and simple," Horner explained.
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