Hamilton Receives Title Boost as Mercedes Refuse to Prioritize Antonelli Over Russell

Toto Wolff has confirmed Mercedes will not impose team orders favoring Kimi Antonelli over George Russell despite the growing championship gap, a decision that keeps Lewis Hamilton's title hopes alive after the Ferrari driver moved to second in the standings following the Belgian Grand Prix.

Why it matters:

With Antonelli holding a 45-point lead over Hamilton and Russell trailing by 50 after a Lap 1 DNF at Spa, Mercedes could have easily shifted focus to their leading driver. Instead, Wolff's stance preserves internal competition and prevents Ferrari or Red Bull from capitalizing on any intra-team squabbles, directly benefiting Hamilton who sits just behind the championship leader.

The details:

• Russell's retirement at Spa came after a first-lap collision with Hamilton, while Antonelli took victory to extend his points lead.
• Wolff cited the Barcelona GP as a hard lesson, where battling Mercedes drivers allowed Hamilton to snatch his maiden Ferrari win.
• The Brackley squad leads the Constructors' Championship with 358 points to Ferrari's 285, but reliability and driver clashes remain vulnerabilities.
• Wolff stressed that Mercedes will "never take a victory away" from either driver, prioritizing race wins over championship arithmetic at this stage of the season.

What's next:

Hamilton now has a clearer path to challenge Antonelli as Mercedes refuses to shield their points leader from his teammate. Russell will need to recover from his "numb" feeling after another dose of 2026 misfortune, with Wolff reminding him that driving for the Silver Arrows remains an elite privilege. With plenty of racing still to come, Mercedes' refusal to pick a favorite could turn a championship advantage into a costly internal fight.