Mercedes duo to ‘race each other differently’ amid Hamilton threat

World championship leader Kimi Antonelli says he and Mercedes team-mate George Russell intend to “race differently” against each other to avoid giving up points to rival teams.

The pair have been involved in multiple thrilling on track battles this season, but their latest duel had a negative impact on Mercedes as it allowed Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton to gain time on them both on his way to winning the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.

Antonelli’s retirement in the latter stages of the race with a technical failure enabled Hamilton to reduce the Italian’s championship lead to 41 points, with the result also suggesting Mercedes might not have things all their own way this season after victories at the first six rounds pointed towards a potentially dominant campaign.

Speaking ahead of this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix, Antonelli said: “I think it will really depend on the situation. If we are under threat by other teams, then we will race differently. But if it’s just me and him, we are going to be able to race free.”

Asked about the situation earlier on Thursday, Russell said: “I think it’s clear that the win for the team is the priority. It doesn’t matter which driver.

“You saw in Canada, Kimi and I fought really hard, but we were pulling away from everybody else. So, the win for the team was not under threat.

“But then you look in Barcelona and suddenly you have another driver who’s in the fight. And, OK, Lewis had the safety car, this helped a lot. But without the safety car, Kimi and I were losing time together and it would have given the opportunity to Ferrari to win.

“And that is when we need to be smart as team-mates. And it’s very clear, the team wants to win the race. It doesn’t matter if it’s myself or Kimi.”

The challenge from Ferrari could potentially be heightened in Austria as the Italian team bring a first engine upgrade of the season having been granted the opportunity to make ground on fellow manufacturers Mercedes and Red Bull.

Antonelli added: “From now on, it’s going to be important to race even more wisely because it’s not just about me and George anymore. The others are coming, so I think this weekend is going to be a weekend where I think all the top four teams will be super close.

“Ferrari is bringing new engine, a bit more powerful engine, Red Bull is bringing a big upgrade, which should give them a lot of performance, and McLaren have been there ever since Miami.

“Definitely, the way I’m going to go racing is maybe a little bit different. Also, it depends a lot on the scenario. If there are other drivers that are close, other competitors that are very close, then probably I will race in a different way than if it was just me and George racing.

“It will all depend on the pace, how fast we are, and where we are on the grid.”

Russell: Hamilton a big threat for title

Hamilton endured a challenging first season at Ferrari after leaving Mercedes, but has found form following F1’s 2026 regulation change.

The seven-time world champion claimed successive second-place finishes before earning his maiden grand prix victory in red and is nine points clear of third-placed Russell.

“Firstly, it’s great to see Lewis back doing what he does best,” Russell said. “And I think that’s also just such an example of how challenging Formula 1 is, because the cars are so complex, the tyres are so complex, the power units are complex. Everything needs to click, and if one thing isn’t clicking, you can’t get the most out of yourself.

“People were writing him off last year or even the year we were team-mates in 2024, asking ‘is he too old? Is he this? Is he that?’ And then he goes and he’s been smashing it for the last four or five races.

“And it just shows that you don’t forget how to drive overnight. You need yourself, your team, the setup, the understanding of the tyres, everything just to click. And when it clicks, you fly. And that’s where he is at the moment.

“And for sure, he is a big threat. Ferrari are a huge threat. Kimi is still very much the driver out front and is performing really incredibly and consistently. But Ferrari feel like they’re coming, and Lewis is at the forefront of that.”

Antonelli is also aware of the threat posed by Hamilton, but has warned that Mercedes can’t rule out a challenge from elsewhere.

“I’m aware that it’s not going to be a walk in the park,” Antonelli said. “It’s going to be a tough battle because George is super quick, Lewis is in a great moment and is feeling the car, and he’s feeling the momentum as well.

“That’s why it’s going to be important to maximise every opportunity. In Barcelona I had an issue at the end and lost a lot of points, so whenever I can, I just need to maximise everything because you never know what can happen.

“And of course, I wouldn’t write off the others. You look at what Max (Verstappen) did last year, coming back from so far. That’s why it’s really important to always be present, stay focused and just do your best and maximise every time you go on track.”

Sky Sports F1’s live Austrian GP schedule

Friday June 26
8.50am: F3 Practice
10am: F2 Practice
12pm: Austrian GP Practice One (session starts at 12.30pm)
1.55pm: F3 Qualifying
2.30pm: Team bosses’ press conference
2.50pm: F2 Qualifying
3.35pm: Austrian GP Practice Two (session starts at 4pm)
5.15pm: The F1 Show

Saturday June 27
9am: F3 Sprint
11.15am: Austrian GP Practice Three (session starts at 11.30am)
1.10pm: F2 Sprint
2.15pm: Austrian GP Qualifying build-up*
3pm: AUSTRIAN GP QUALIFYING*
5pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook

Sunday June 28
7.35am: F3 Feature Race
9.05am: F2 Feature Race
10.50am: Porsche Supercup
12.30pm: Austrian GP build-up: Grand Prix Sunday*
2pm: THE AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX*
4pm: Austrian GP reaction: Chequered Flag
5pm: Ted’s Notebook

*Also on Sky Sports Main Event

Formula 1’s European season continues with the Austrian Grand Prix this weekend, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime

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