Russell backs Mercedes team order at Dutch Grand Prix
Mercedes driver George Russell supported the team’s decision to use team orders in favour of his teammate Kimi Antonelli during the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort. As Channel NewsAsia reports, Antonelli, who leads the Formula 1 championship standings, finished second, while Russell took third place.
Position swap at the end of the race
Towards the end of the race, the Briton was running second, but Antonelli was rapidly closing the gap on fresher soft tyres. Two Ferraris were behind both Mercedes cars, and their drivers used a virtual safety car period to make pit stops, while Russell remained on track.
The team instructed the drivers over the radio to swap positions and not race each other. Russell initially questioned the need for such a decision but complied with the order. McLaren driver Lando Norris won the race, while Mercedes secured a double podium.
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Team reaction
Russell said Antonelli deserved to finish ahead because he had better pace and new tyres and, in his view, would have passed his teammate anyway. Antonelli thanked Russell for making things easier for him.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff described the decision as routine, explaining that before the pit stop Antonelli had been comfortably running second ahead of Russell, and the team had effectively restored that order. Mercedes also noted that if Russell had pitted during the virtual safety car period, he would have ended up behind Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton, who finished fourth. According to the team’s assessment, swapping positions offered the best chance of preserving Antonelli’s second place in a race where Mercedes did not have the pace to fight for victory.
