As Motorsport.com Italia reports, Mercedes is celebrating an extraordinary campaign that has already delivered both world titles to Toto Wolff's team. Andrea Kimi Antonelli secured the drivers' crown in Mexico at just 20 years old, followed swiftly by the constructors' title in Brazil. It has been a dominant sweep featuring 12 victories, with nine for the young Italian and three for George Russell, alongside matching pole positions and fastest laps.
Yet, a final piece is missing to cap off a truly comprehensive season reminiscent of their previous hybrid-era dominance. George Russell has slipped to third in the drivers' standings with three grands prix remaining, sitting 17 points behind Max Verstappen with the Red Bull on 279 points, and holding a precarious one-point advantage over Lewis Hamilton with the Ferrari on 261 points.
Russell arrived at the decisive phase of the year feeling visibly drained, having not won since the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Briton admitted to feeling exhausted from continually having to pick himself up after setbacks, noting that out of twenty races, they faced problematic situations in fourteen of them rather than mere bad luck.
The intra-team dynamic shifted entirely when the rookie tsunami hit Brackley, upending expectations after Russell's initial win in Australia. Now, as Mercedes looks toward the final rounds in Las Vegas, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi, the team hopes to support Russell in reclaiming second place in the championship. According to the Italian's entourage, Antonelli might be willing to yield a position if requested to aid his teammate's psychological recovery, though questions remain over how team management will handle the situation after previous radio tensions.
F1
F1
