George Russell backs Mercedes team orders after Antonelli takes P2 in Dutch GP

Antonelli secured second place behind race winner Lando Norris, while Russell completed the podium after a strategic battle that briefly placed the two Mercedes drivers on different strategies.

The Italian admitted the second half of his race had been particularly difficult. After struggling for confidence in the car, Antonelli benefited from a pit-stop decision that ultimately put him ahead of Russell, although he acknowledged Mercedes had taken a degree of risk with the strategy.

“I still think probably could have stayed out and gone until the end with the same set,” Antonelli said.

He also recognised that the strategy meant Russell had to give up track position, potentially compromising his own podium chances.

He added: "I feel we put George at risk. With having to let me by but I still think at the end of the day it was a great team execution with how things were. And I think today P2 was the maximum we could have done because the pace of the McLaren's, especially in the second half, was just too strong."

Russell, however, said there was never any intention of the Mercedes drivers engaging in a direct fight while running different strategies. He explained that the team has a clear understanding that its drivers will not battle when their strategies are offset.

“We've always said as a team, when we're on different strategies, we're never going to fight,” Russell said. “That's always just been our sort of rule.”

The Briton admitted he could potentially have kept Antonelli behind, but doing so would have carried significant risks. Antonelli had already been ahead of Russell before the Virtual Safety Car and had committed to a different strategy in an attempt to maximise Mercedes’ overall result.

He said: “The first VSC came at a pretty awkward timing for me because I felt really strong on the hard. I think Kimi was kind of the opposite. I had a tough medium stint, he had a very strong medium stint. And then I had a strong heart spirit and he was struggling but that VSC gave Lewis Hamilton the free pit stop, and obviously Kimi pitted as well. From there on in, I knew I was going to be under threat."

When asked about the team orders and had they not been employed, Russell added: "Maybe, but equally, it could have been a P5 as well. So, in the end, Kimi deserved to be P2. I think P3 was a fair result for me, and yeah, it's a long season."

The decision proved particularly important as Russell later had to defend his podium from Hamilton during the closing stages. Nevertheless, he was able to use his pace through the high-speed sections to defend effectively into Turn 1.

Both drivers acknowledged that Mercedes currently lacks the outright pace of McLaren, with Norris particularly impressive throughout the weekend. Antonelli said the team was working hard on its next upgrade package, which could help close the gap in the coming races.

Antonelli extended his championship lead despite describing the weekend as difficult, while Russell returned to the podium after a run of three races without a top-three finish. With an engine penalty for Antonelli at Monza, the Mercedes pair face another challenge at the Italian Grand Prix.