While at the Belgian Grand Prix, neither Mercedes shared the same piece of asphalt after the start, Toto Wolff has revealed that team orders are now in place for his drivers. Earlier in the season at the Canadian Grand Prix—both in the Sprint and the main race on Sunday—Kimi Antonelli and George Russell battled it out lap after lap for the lead.
Sparks Fly in Montreal
For the shorter race format, Russell was on pole with his teammate alongside him. The British driver retained his position after the start but was harried relentlessly for the lead. Yet the Italian teenager pushed it too far at Turn 2, running wide and allowing Lando Norris through into P2, where he remained until the chequered flag, with Russell taking the win.
Again starting 1-2 on the grid for Sunday’s main race, the two W17s engaged in an aggressive, wheel-to-wheel thriller. Antonelli got the better launch off the line to snatch the lead into Turn 1, but Russell kept the pressure on and fought back to reclaim P1 on Lap 6.
On Lap 12, Antonelli lunged ahead briefly before Russell instantly counter-attacked. Russell battled frequent front-lockups into the final chicane under heavy pressure, narrowly fending off side-by-side attacks from Antonelli on Laps 18 and 20.
Radio Intervention and Engine Heartbreak
Both were deploying their electric boost to make moves, only to run out of energy while the other took the lead in turn. Antonelli made a dive stick at the last corner on Lap 22 to take the lead again, but locked up two laps later while lapping Lando Norris, letting Russell back through. Antonelli immediately made another attempt into the final chicane, ran off-track across the grass, and rejoined ahead.
Over the radio, Mercedes instructed Antonelli to give the position back. Despite protesting (“Why mate, he pushed me off and I was already ahead?”), Antonelli complied and handed the lead back to Russell on Lap 30.
Just moments after receiving the lead back from Antonelli on Lap 30, Russell’s power unit suddenly failed. The Briton was forced to park his car, slamming his fists on the chassis in frustration before throwing his headrest across the track. With Russell out of the race, Antonelli inherited a clear track, controlled the Virtual Safety Car restart, and went on to claim the Grand Prix victory.
The Barcelona Catalyst
In an era where the F1 power units are being heavily criticised and Mercedes is dominating, the wheel-to-wheel duel between Russell and Antonelli at least gave the fans something to cheer. However, the next time the Mercedes pair are found in close combat, no such action will be seen by the fans.
Team boss Toto Wolff has ordered his drivers not to engage in such wheel-to-wheel combat after a lengthy review of the circumstances surrounding their Barcelona Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton stole an early lead from the Mercedes duo, who continued to battle each other for second place.
As the pair duked it out using their electrical boost, Hamilton in his Ferrari was able to use his hybrid power more efficiently and pulled away to build a commanding gap and win the race. Antonelli eventually retired just a handful of laps from the end of the Grand Prix, having just overtaken his teammate again to claim third place and what would have been a podium position.
Rules of Engagement: Protecting the Win
The Mercedes internal review was extensive and, prior to the recent Belgian Grand Prix, resulted in the team issuing orders to its drivers, as Toto Wolff explained to the assembled media in the Spa-Francorchamps paddock.
“After the learning that we had in Barcelona, where we lost so much time, the mission that we set for [the Belgian Grand Prix] was that we were not going to lose time with each other,” Wolff revealed.
“We didn’t want any yo-yoing and then have a Ferrari or a Red Bull breathing down our neck and losing a victory, as happened in Barcelona. Without the DNF, Kimi would have won the race.”
While not explaining the new team orders in detail, Wolff did insist Mercedes would not issue orders that would change a potential winning result, even if the Drivers’ Championship were to get tight with another team.
Unlike the tone of teammate driving rules developed during the Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg era, the instructions are designed to prevent rival competitors from taking advantage of Mercedes, rather than to govern an intra-team, all-out war.
“So, since Barcelona, we would in any case always give preference to the race victory, and if it meant that Kimi or George were ahead, this is what we would do; this is a Constructors’ Championship as much as a Drivers’ Championship,” Wolff added.
“We would never take a victory away from any of the drivers. So if it is George who is ahead, even though he’s behind in the championship at that stage of the season, we wouldn’t do that.”
Mystery Power Deficit Haunts Russell
Mercedes has some head-scratching to do given the recent complaints from George Russell. For some reason, his Mercedes W17 is markedly slower along the straights than that of his teammate. To date, the team has been unable to discover the source of the issue, which again reared its head at the Belgian Grand Prix.
While Russell was ultimately taken out of the race at the chicane at the end of the Kemmel Straight by Lewis Hamilton, his start from P3 was a nightmare. The British driver got a clean getaway, even challenging Verstappen for P2. But exiting Turn 1, his W17 suffered a severe battery deployment defect—running 30% to 40% down on electrical power.
Deprived of his top speed, Russell was a “sitting duck” down the long straight, getting easily passed by Charles Leclerc and heavily challenged by Lewis Hamilton. Russell attempted to hang around the outside of Hamilton’s Ferrari into the Les Combes braking zone to reclaim position. Hamilton’s front-left wheel tapped the rear-right of Russell’s Mercedes, pitching Russell into a spin and beaching his car deep in the gravel trap.
At the British Grand Prix, Toto Wolff denied Russell had an underpowered car compared to his teammate, but after Belgium, this narrative is no longer being pushed as the team struggles to understand the issues with George Russell’s W17.
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A.J. Hunt is Senior Editor at TJ13, where Andrew oversees editorial standards and contributes to the site’s Formula 1 coverage. A career journalist with experience in both print and digital sports media, Andrew trained in investigative journalism and has written for a range of European sports outlets.
At TJ13, Andrew plays a central role in shaping the site’s output, working across breaking news, analysis, and long-form features. Andrew’s responsibilities include fact-checking, refining editorial structure, and ensuring consistency in reporting across a fast-moving news cycle.
Andrew’s work focuses particularly on the intersection of Formula 1 politics, regulation, and team strategy. Andrew closely follows developments involving the FIA, team leadership, and driver market dynamics, helping to provide context behind the sport’s biggest stories.
With experience covering multiple seasons of Formula 1’s modern hybrid era, Andrew has developed a detailed understanding of how regulatory changes and competitive shifts influence the grid. Andrew’s editorial approach prioritises clarity and context, aiming to help readers navigate complex developments within the sport.
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