Kimi Antonelli: We'll keep racing each other like in Canada, you can't leash a driver

The 2026 Formula 1 world championship leader revealed the team reviewed the incidents from Canada before arriving in Monaco. However, rather than introducing team orders, Mercedes has encouraged both drivers to continue racing each other while respecting clear limits.

Antonelli and Russell clashed twice during the Canadian Grand Prix weekend. The pair made contact during the sprint before fighting again for the lead in Sunday's race. Russell later retired with a power unit failure, allowing Antonelli to claim a fourth consecutive victory and extend his championship advantage.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff described the battle as "good cinema" but warned he could be forced to intervene if the rivalry started costing the team valuable points.

Antonelli said the discussions after Canada focused on racing hard while avoiding unnecessary risks: "Basically, the end of the discussion was that you can race each other fairly as long as there is respect and you don't put yourselves in a situation where you could damage one of you or both of you.

"The team don't want to put rules, but understandably they want both cars to finish and to get as many points as possible. That is in our minds as well because we race for ourselves to be the best but also we race for the team to reward the 2,000 people who work for the team," explained Antonelli.

The Italian made it clear that Mercedes does not want to impose restrictions on either driver: "We'll keep racing each other like in Canada but a bit more smartly. But definitely the team wants us to race freely because you can't really put a leash on a driver."

The comments highlight the confidence Mercedes still has in managing one of the most competitive driver pairings on the grid. Antonelli heads into Monaco with momentum after becoming the first driver in Formula 1 history to score his first four career victories consecutively.

Russell agreed with his teammate and insisted there is no need for concern inside the team: "We have to be trusted, and this is what we do: we are drivers, and we push ourselves to the limit every single lap. When we race we push each other to the limit."

The Briton acknowledged that Wolff's perspective from the pit wall is naturally different but stressed that both drivers understand where the limits lie.

Russell said: "I know when you are sat on the sidelines in the pit wall like Toto, of course it's stressful and tense because you can't control it, but ultimately we have to be trusted, and we are trusted." "We'll keep fighting, but we know the boundaries."

Russell won the season-opening Australian Grand Prix but has since fallen 43 points behind his younger teammate. Despite that gap, Mercedes continues to allow both drivers to race without team orders.

Antonelli arrives in Monaco carrying the weight of being the hunted driver rather than the hunter. Yet the 19-year-old remains reluctant to discuss championship prospects.

Russell suggested after Canada that the title is now Antonelli's to lose. The Italian disagrees and believes it is far too early for such conversations: "It's so early in the season; there are 17 or maybe more races to go, and it's too early to talk about the championship." You can't lose something you haven't achieved."

The young Mercedes driver insists his focus remains unchanged despite his growing advantage at the top of the standings: "I feel pretty relaxed about the situation. I just want to keep on doing what I'm doing, raise the bar and try to win as much as possible.

"George is a super strong teammate, and he will make my life very hard, but I just try to deal with every situation and then try to excel at what I do," added Antonelli.

With Monaco marking the start of a demanding phase of the season, Mercedes faces one of its biggest tests yet. For now, Antonelli leads Russell by 43 points, and the teammates have been given the freedom to continue their fight on track. Watch this space!
(Additional Reporting Agnes Carlier in Monaco)