Two-way challenge
In the first three races of the 2026 season, the dominant force on the track has been Mercedes. The results achieved so far by the W17 suggest that the title race will be limited – barring dramatic upheavals in the car values – to only Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell. Before the start of the championship, it was expected that the Englishman would be able to easily defeat his young teammate, but in two of the three GPs held, it was Antonelli who beat Russell, both in qualifying and in the race.
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The very fast talent from Bologna is also gaining numerous approvals within the team and is seen somewhat as the ‘protégé’ by mechanics and engineers. A psychological aspect not to be underestimated, especially with a view to a title derby between him and Russell. Former driver Johnny Herbert, now a respected commentator and pundit, spoke to the site Vision4Sport precisely about the internal challenge within the silver arrows’ garage, emphasizing how Russell needs to react to reaffirm his role within the team.
Toto’s favorite
“George has a one-year contract – Herbert observed – and sometimes it’s not pleasant to feel that Kimi is the favorite. And then you hear all those rumors about Max [Verstappen]. The only way to stop all this is to win the championship. George has to work hard within his small ecosystem to make sure he does the right things for everyone, so that everyone thinks: ‘We trust him. He is extremely reliable and we need him.’
“He has to try to turn the situation around to regain power within the team – Herbert added, who knows about difficult teammates having shared the Benetton garage for the entire 1995 season with Michael Schumacher – Kimi is the rising star and probably has a slightly better relationship with Toto. George might perceive all this, but sometimes that’s a good thing. He might think: ‘To hell with it, I’ll show what I’m capable of. I’ll beat your favorite’. Sometimes this is reality and that’s why a driver has to take responsibility for his own situation. He has to work hard and try to make things go his way, avoiding the mistakes we saw in Japan and that Toto hinted at. These things cannot happen”.
