"The win for the team is the priority": Russell on Mercedes team orders

Credit: Formula One

After the drama of Canada and another near collision in Barcelona, George Russell has revealed where Mercedes stands regarding team orders. 

Russell and his teammate Kimi Antonelli are both largely in contention for the Driver’s Championship, with Antonelli currently leading the standings by 41 points. Russell sits behind seven-time winner Lewis Hamilton, who currently resides in second, fresh off a Grand Prix victory last round in Barcelona. 

For many, it’s a bit of a surprise to see Russell third in the championship race, as it was highly projected in the pre-season that he would ultimately win it all. Especially shocking, his third-place position was bested by his 19-year-old teammate and Hamilton, who had a less-than-ideal season in 2025. 

When asked about the threat Hamilton brings as the only non-Mercedes driver to win a Grand Prix this season, Russell was sure to give the Ferrari driver his flowers. 

“For sure, [Hamilton] is a big threat,” he said. “Ferrari are a big threat. Ferrari feels like they are coming, and Lewis is at the forefront of that.”

“The more people you are going head-to-head with, that's competition. When we were karting, there were three, four, five drivers competing for wins, and that is how F1 should be,” he concluded. 

Credit: Formula One

But what about his teammate? The Italian teenager who seems to be on point every single weekend? In times when Russell has struggled with pace or technical issues, Antonelli has had near-perfect weekends.

Well, almost near perfect. Last time around in Barcelona, Antonelli completed a successful pass on Russell to slide into second position, after a good amount of on-track battle. However, that all came undone as a result of impending reliability issues forcing a DNF. 

Antonelli’s first DNF of the season, but not the first for the Mercedes garage, or by extension, the Mercedes power unit. In the time between Barcelona and Austria, a further investigation revealed some of the reasoning behind the constant reliability issues Mercedes faces. When asked about it, Russell said:

“I think these [reliability] things even out over a season, especially now the seasons are so long. 

“I'm not losing sleep over something I can't control.”

Reliability issues aside, what can Mercedes do to limit losing points? After all, they are not just concerned about a driver’s title, but a Constructor’s Championship as well. Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff noted that Russell and Antonelli’s on-track battle in Barcelona cost the team time to Hamilton, who ultimately went on to win the race. 

Naturally, this raises the question: will Mercedes implement team orders, and if so, how will they be determined? In today’s press conference, Russell supplied some insight. 

"The win for the team is the priority; it doesn't matter which driver," admits Russell. 

"We need to be smart as teammates, and the team wants to win the race - it doesn't matter if it is myself or Kimi." 

It’s easy to say now, but in a high-stakes environment where emotions run high, it could be a completely different ball game. Additionally, with the FIA declaring a heat hazard for this weekend’s race, it’ll be extra interesting to see how those Mercedes power units hold up with their ongoing issues. 

Things are heating up, both literally and in the teammate battle brewing at Mercedes.