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Mercedes believes it's "too early" to prioritize either Kimi Antonelli or George Russell in the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship battle, especially with the looming threat of Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari.
The Silver Arrows have been the dominant force early in the current regulatory cycle, securing eight of the first eleven races to establish a 72-point lead over Ferrari with 12 rounds remaining. Six of those victories belong to Antonelli, who holds a 50-point advantage over Barcelona winner Hamilton and a 59-point lead over his Mercedes teammate and pre-season favorite, Russell.
With Russell's championship hopes already hanging by a thread, calls have emerged for Mercedes to back Antonelli, ensuring a straightforward path to his maiden title. This sentiment is particularly strong given last year's scenario, where McLaren declined to favor either Oscar Piastri or eventual champion Lando Norris, inadvertently paving the way for Max Verstappen of Red Bull to launch a late charge.
However, Mercedes sees no reason to take such a step at this juncture, as they pursue their first Drivers' Championship since Hamilton's seventh title in 2020 and their first Constructors' crown since their eighth in 2021.
"If a Mercedes car can win the race, a Mercedes car should win the race," stated Deputy Team Principal Bradley Lord just before the Hungarian Grand Prix. "That's paramount; the team comes first, and the Constructors' Championship is the primary focus and main objective for the team."
"We've seen how the battle shifts to such an extent that I think it was being written that there was only one possible championship winner, and then within three races, we saw everything completely turn around."
"It's too early to even think that way. We want to win both championships, absolutely, and we'll give ourselves the best chance to do that by getting both cars to the finish as often as possible in the highest possible positions."
"That's the focus – the car is reliable, we keep it fast, and then we empower the drivers to perform at their best to win the Drivers' Championship."
"But as I said, the core principle is: if Mercedes can win, Mercedes should win. We don't care which of the two cars it is, and we will do what's necessary to ensure that the faster one on any given Sunday can achieve that. That's the priority for us."
While Mercedes was expected to be on track for their first Constructors' title in five years, it was widely believed that Russell, not Antonelli, would be leading the charge.
This was due to the 19-year-old's rather inconsistent debut season in 2025, while Russell consistently outperformed him to finish fourth in the standings.
However, the Briton has faced numerous setbacks since his victory in the season opener in Melbourne. The very next weekend in Shanghai, a car issue hampered his qualifying performance, and in Japan, he was hit by an ill-timed safety car.
An engine failure also forced Russell to retire from a leading position in Montreal, he received various unfortunate penalties in Monaco, and in Budapest, he plummeted to last place on the first lap due to an anti-stall system activation.
While Antonelli has also had his share of misfortune – in Barcelona and at Silverstone – Russell feels particularly hard done by, despite rarely matching his teammate's pace.
"I think, without a doubt, George has had bad luck in various races from a technical standpoint, like in China, where the car, for some strange reason, wouldn't start properly and thus compromised his qualifying, or the penalty situation in Monaco with its incorrect serving and subsequent consequences. Then there was the red flag, which complicated the aftermath of the penalty," Lord added. "So I think at various points in the year, he's felt that misfortunes never come alone, and bad luck seems to lead to more problems and more bad luck."
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