Mercedes draws the line in Antonelli-Russell battles: 'That was a bit beyond'
Photo: Race Pictures
13:03, 20 Sep
0 Comments
Kada Sárközi joined GPblog as an editor ahead of the 2023 Formula 1 season. He graduated with a BA in Sports Journalism in the UK and has covered Grands Prix and other F1 events live.
Mercedes would prefer the battles between Kimi Antonelli and George Russell to resemble those in Monza rather than Montreal.
Speaking on the NU Silver Arrows Radio Show, Mercedes' Trackside Engineering Director, Andrew Shovlin, addressed the battles Antonelli and Russell have had throughout the 2026 season so far.
According to the Briton, what happened in Montreal earlier this season between the teammates was over the limit they would prefer to see on the pit wall and in the garage.
He began: "For us, Monza was an easier watch than Canada. Canada felt like it was, a bit beyond the level that we want our two to race at. But as I said, it's so easy to stop them racing, but we've barely ever interfered. We just let them know what we want to see.
Shovlin highlighted that if the drivers follow the rules, they will not interfere with team orders.
"And if they give us that, then they're free to race. As I said, probably the best thing for the Constructors’ Championship, but for both championships is they go into every weekend thinking they've got a chance to win, the team will support them in doing that and that will help them bring their very best to the track each weekend."
ADVERTISEMENT
Antonelli going wide in Monza - Photo: Race Pictures
Shovlin looks ahead to the Azerbaijan GP: What's possible for Mercedes?
Mercedes expects to perform better next weekend in Azerbaijan, Shovlin added. He also expects Red Bull to make a step forward.
"I think if we hadn't had Monza, we would again be saying, Baku we haven't updated for a while, that's going to be a tough circuit for us. I think the fact that we showed that our car works well at these tracks that need low drag, we have an efficient car, we look good in a straight line, Red Bull are quite similar, and while that's not the only thing you need at Baku, I think if you've got that you're in with a decent shout and then we've got to sort it out for the rather twisty, wiggly bit through the castle and those corners.
"But we're looking forward to it and it is a track that George has been good there before. Kimi knows it now, it's not his first year and hopefully we'll be in a position to fight for a win," he concluded.
ADVERTISEMENT
Entering the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Mercedes has a firm grip on the constructors' championship. In the drivers' standings, Antonelli currently leads his teammate Russell by 81 points.
Don’t miss GPblog in Google
Mark us as a preferred source and our articles will appear more often at the top of Top Stories.
Add as a preferred / source on GoogleRead more about:
latest news
Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Overview
Thursday 24.09.26
Practice 1
08:30 AM
Practice 2
12:00 PM
Friday 25.09.26
Practice 3
08:30 AM
Qualification
12:00 PM
Saturday 26.09.26
Race
11:00 AM
Thursday 24.09.26
Practice 1
Thu 08:30 AM
Practice 2
Thu 12:00 PM
Friday 25.09.26
Practice 3
Fri 08:30 AM
Qualification
Fri 12:00 PM
Saturday 26.09.26
Race
Sat 11:00 AM
Times are in your local timezone
Popular on GPBlog
1
Fernando Alonso eyes 2027 WEC switch with Aston Martin
4446 times read
2
Leclerc swaps Ferrari red for striking all-black look in Singapore
3833 times read
3
MotoGP Full Sprint Race Results | Martin wins after Acosta crash breaks KTM hearts
2082 times read
4
The Lambiase saga shows how far Formula 1 has gone overboard
1628 times read
F1-stand 2026
Season
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | MercedesMER | 292 | |
2 | MercedesMER | 211 | |
3 | FerrariFER | 191 | |
4 | McLarenMCL | 186 | |
5 | FerrariFER | 167 | |
6 | Red Bull RacingRBR | 145 | |
7 | McLarenMCL | 120 | |
8 | Red Bull RacingRBR | 71 | |
9 | Racing BullsRCB | 59 | |
10 | AlpineALP | 41 |
Loading
