Mercedes

electricalottomatic81d ago

Everybody pump the brakes.Little too soon to start handing out GOAT status. Not even a full season yet.

♥ 2

wilsonjimwilson99d ago

Assuming he wins this year, it'll depend a lot on the car he is in rather than how good he is. If Mercedes keep producing the best car, he'll likely win multiple WDC's. If Mercedes fall off, then he won't win WDC's with them and might have to get lucky switching to another team.

david.comerford101d ago

I don't know if he'll put himself in the GOAT conversation yet, but I think he'll be in the group just behind with drivers like Vettel etc

linet62d ago

No

seanfisher109d ago

No not at all, if anything that’ll just create more friction between the two drivers. Currently they know that the best driver will win

walkercharlie828109d ago

Interesting to hear Toto say he's considering brining back the rule he gave to Nico and Lewis, where he'd make them pay out of their own pocket for damage from teammate collisions. Sounds like no plans for team orders, but some rules to discourage fighting

aaditya.krishnamurthy112d ago

I think Russell wouldn't have expected Antonelli to become as good as he did. If he had known, he may have recommended a different young driver, perhaps someone who showed signs of potential in F2, and needed more time to develop into a top driver.

♥ 2

david.comerford112d ago

It's tricky. He probably thought Antonelli wouldn't be a major threat given his inexperience. Maybe he should have lobbied for Sainz - good enough to push the team forward, but still beatable if you're a truly elite driver

♥ 1

cbglavey78d ago

No

natalanatella102d ago

О лучший!

d62fw5kt5v109d ago

I wouldn’t sign him because I think Kimi is the present and the future

♥ 1

everclear22.pvdp107d ago

Actual talent and a change of mindset. Russell was a bridesmaid to Hamilton while he was at Mercedes and true to form, he's now the bridesmaid to Antonelli. Driving for Mercedes doesn't mean you're owed a drivers championship.

♥ 1

malcolm92270116d ago

George Russell would like to blame everything and everybody for his failures to beat Kimi A . the fact is quite simple = he is quite simply not as good or as quick as this young man .

♥ 1

mattshark11117d ago

A reliable car. He needs a win to regain confidence. That retirement at Canada knocked him back. When u start winning the wins keep coming, when you start losing confidence takes a massive hit and it gets worse.

xmcnst27966d ago

Merc ass-kissing is not a good look for you. STOP crying about MAX, all of us f 1 fans know the germans have & are cheating !

♥ 1

mattshark11117d ago

Probably a button they push. Maybe they hired the VW emissions engineering team for testing the Merc engine

♥ 1

aaditya.krishnamurthy118d ago

This is a joke right? There’s no way this can be right. Yeah Red Bull power trains did a good job with their PU but given how dominant Mercedes have been, it’s hard to see how they don’t have the benchmark engine

♥ 1

david.comerford126d ago

I thought Mercedes had overhyped him a bit, but I was think it was so important he finished the year strong to reassure everyone

george.patten126d ago

Thought he was underwhelming but showed promise. Glad he’s kicked on this year

jonny129d ago

Must be stressful for George Russell to know he would be replaced if Toto gets the chance! But could also argue it should motivate them, Kimi for example doesn’t seem to be affected

freddie129d ago

Does sound a little bit like that! Depends on the personality of the drivers tho, some would thrive under this, others will crumble

marcus.chan129d ago

That would be the last thing I want to hear when fighting for a title! On the other hand, this might be Wolff’s way of getting a reaction from his drivers!

aaditya.krishnamurthy130d ago

Of course he should! Don't leave two eager title contenders to figure things out on their own!

dale.odonnell131d ago

Best of luck keeling Toto quiet.

xmcnst27966d ago

Very lucky, youth is wasted on the very young I see

walkercharlie828131d ago

It's easy to say he's been lucky. He's not been four wins in a row good. But considering the expectations of him going into the season were that he'd be miles behind George, his success is far more down to his performances than flat luck

aaditya.krishnamurthy132d ago

There’s no denying that Antonelli has been lucky. But a lot of drivers get lucky. It’s on him to convert that luck into success

david.comerford132d ago

I still think about 60%, Antonelli is bound to have a DNF eventually and that could bring Russell into play

tyler.rowlinson133d ago

Definitely a bit of mind games from Russell here. Ultimately, there is still 17 races to go, 43 points sounds comfortable but it's not that big a margin in hindsight. I'll go lower than 70%, but could easily be higher if Kimi keeps this form up

aaditya.krishnamurthy133d ago

I'll say yes, but not more than 75%. The margin for error is still pretty big for him, this sounds more like Russell trying to put pressure on Antonelli to get under his head so he makes a mistake

david.comerford137d ago

A favouritism narrative is inevitable at some point this year, but thankfully Wolff is used to dealing with that noise

aaditya.krishnamurthy137d ago

I think expectation management is important, but Russell is bound to have more pressure on him than Kimi, whether it’s fair or not

rebecca.braybrook137d ago

I think this is a little harsh from DC! But I do think Russell will definitely be feeling the pressure now but I doubt Toto is treating them that differently!

rebecca.braybrook137d ago

It obviously wouldn't be a good look if George loses the title to Kimi, but I think it really depends on the point defecit! He definitely won't be as much of an exciting prospect to other teams!

aaditya.krishnamurthy146d ago

It wouldn’t be a good look, and his position as a #1 driver would go up in smoke

♥ 1

david.comerford147d ago

He would go down a long way in my estimations, I thought he was right up there as maybe the 2nd best behind Max, let's see if he is

fogclimber1998142d ago

In his entire career? I am hoping for 4, the same number as Prost, Vettel, and Verstappen. One less than Fangio.

aaditya.krishnamurthy146d ago

I think he’ll win 2 before 2030 for sure

david.comerford147d ago

I will go for three, could get a couple before 2030

rebecca.braybrook137d ago

I don't think Kimi is quite there yet but I'd love to revisit this at the end of this season!

tyler.rowlinson148d ago

I’m not making any rash comparisons right now with Antonelli. It’s too early, but I will say he has the potential

aaditya.krishnamurthy148d ago

Let's not get carried away so quickly... Love Kimi but let him at least win a championship before he gets inserted into these conversations.

fogclimber1998140d ago

Mercedes AMG HPP benefits by getting PU data from their customer teams, and McLaren is the strongest of them. I feel this is a good relationship for both teams.

kyle.archer151d ago

Mercedes chiefs will not like it if McLaren are again able to usurp the Silver Arrows, despite being an engine customer, under the 2026 regulations. The question for McLaren would then be, do they mirror Red Bull are start building their own power unit, or look to buy from Audi, Cadillac or even Red Bull as Ferrari would not be an option.

aaditya.krishnamurthy151d ago

It's not as clear cut. Mercedes are a supplier team, and great deal of their profits come from these engine supplying agreements. If they didn't want rivals benefitting from their work, they shouldn't have gotten into the Power Unit business

rebecca.braybrook151d ago

I think this is really harsh from Ralf! Mercedes are clear on not picking a number 1 driver, so I cannot see this happening!

aaditya.krishnamurthy151d ago

For now, the two are going to be on equal footing at the very least. But Russell needs to start stringing some strong finishes together to regain the No. 1 driver spot.

seanfisher151d ago

Saying Russell isn’t authentic seems harsh 😅 but he must feel so threatened by Kimi, who is only going to get better and better

aaditya.krishnamurthy151d ago

No, because I don't think Russell believes in himself enough as a driver to create a fuss over Antonelli surpassing him as Mercedes' ace in the long-term. He'll be frustrated, but he'll be a team player about it to keep his spot.

david.comerford152d ago

If it does happen, I think it will actually come more from George than Kimi

kyle.archer153d ago

George Russell is more likely to feel frustrated by the new kid usurping him when he's waited years for a title shot. But they will only fall out if Russell feels Andrea Kimi Antonelli is getting the rub of the green.