Mercedes boss Toto Wolff tipped George Russell to hit back in his intra-team fight with Kimi Antonelli, who has won three races in a row so far in 2026.
Russell was oozing with confidence at the start of the 2026 Formula 1 season, especially as his Mercedes W17 turned out to be the best of the 2026 machinery on the grid.
As such, the Russell set his sights on his first F1 title and duly started the season with a dominant win in Melbourne.
However, the tide has turned since, with Antonelli gaining the upper hand, winning the next three races in China, Japan, and Miami, as he now leads the F1 Drivers' Championship by 20 points from his teammate.
And while there were several factors like reliability (China) and untimely Safety Cars (Japan) that affected Russell badly, he was comprehensively beaten by Antonelli in Miami while also giving silly reasons on how he doesn't like the low-grip Miami track.
While much has been said on the Mercedes teammate rivalry, Wolff insists it is far from over, as he expects Russell to hit back soon, and in Montreal in particular, a track the Briton usually goes well at.
"George is a killer. What makes him so good is he never stops fighting or attacking," Wolff said. "I've seen him throughout his career in junior formulas and karting and here [F1]. He's going for this and won't leave a stone unturned.
"I have no doubt the two of them will fight for points throughout the season," the Austrian maintained.
Reflecting more on Russell's statement and weekend in Miami, Wolff explained: "These things, he analyzes them, looks at the data, comes to his conclusions, and the conclusion is that he's never been quite at ease on this track, and he never liked the smooth surface.
"That's it. Tick the box. He's looking forward to Montreal. I don't think there's any relevance from the side to think about what would be at the end of the year," the Mercedes boss concluded. (Source: Sky Sports F1)
Latest News
Loading
