Toto Wolff warns Kimi Antonelli and George Russell: "The team will always be more important than the drivers."

While F1 is preparing to resume its activities at the Miami Grand Prix after a month-long forced hiatus, Mercedes Benz takes the lead in the championship. But all the teams have used the spring break to sharpen their weapons and are ready to challenge the Silver Arrows. In any case, the men of Toto wolff They enter the fourth round of the season at the top of the standings, with a total of 135 points. However, the mathematical leader of the German team, and of the championship, is not the one that logic would have predicted.

Since the departure of Lewis Hamilton for Classic Ferrari for sale In 2025, George Russell seemed a natural fit to assume the mantle of leader. Facing a teammate as young as he was inexperienced – Kimi Antonelli starting only his second season at 19 – the Briton was logically considered the favorite for the title at the wheel of a car which established itself, from the very first races, as the benchmark on the grid. But while the team is the target to beat, only one driver can clinch the title. For now, it's the young prodigy Kimi Antonelli who is giving his teammate a run for his money, thus defying the initial predictions of the bookmakers.

« The unique aspect of Formula 1 is that the two teammates are also the biggest competitors, and we have learned a lot over the last ten years about how best to manage these situations. explains Toto Wolff to Sky Sports F1, who has seen more than one rivalry emerge within his team. But "better management" also means letting them race and recognizing that they are competing against each other. There are certain values ​​we uphold within the team. The team will always be more important than the drivers."

Mercedes' liability

In the past, internal tensions have already caused turmoil, notably the bitter rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. It's a situation the Austrian driver intends to prevent from recurring, especially as his two protégés are likely to battle it out for the world championship.

« This is Mercedes, one of the most prestigious brands in the world, the best car brand in the world. We race for the 150,000 people who work for us, for a company that has existed for over 120 years. And having the opportunity to drive, to be one of the few drivers selected by Mercedes, also comes with a responsibility to the brand. insists Toto Wolff, who still remembers the scars of the Hamilton-Rosberg era. The moment a driver feels that everything revolves around him, it's a mindset we will never allow or accept within the team. And we've already proven that in the past. I'd rather have only one car on the track if this point wasn't clear or respected. But I think we'll never get to that point, because our drivers have been part of the Mercedes family for so long that they've internalized this mindset, this philosophical approach, and the legacy they represent. »

One thing is certain: this weekend, both Silver Arrows will take to the track in Miami. Now it's up to them to prove that they can be the world's greatest competitors while still serving, above all, the interests of the Mercedes team.

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