[Saba Sports News] After the Miami Grand Prix, a subtle shift has taken place inside the Mercedes team. Eighteen-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli claimed another victory to secure three consecutive wins, while George Russell, regarded as the team’s undisputed lead driver, could only overtake the race-damaged Charles Leclerc in the closing stages to finish fourth. The result has not only allowed Antonelli to stretch his lead further in the championship standings, but also prompted outsiders to reassess the internal pecking order at Mercedes.
Ahead of the season, Russell was tipped as one of the title contenders. Mercedes boasted strong competitiveness under the new 2026 regulations, and as the team’s most experienced driver, Russell was widely seen as the obvious successor to Lewis Hamilton. However, the dynamic began to change after the Chinese Grand Prix. Antonelli has delivered a string of outstanding performances, while Russell has been unable to regain the upper hand over his young teammate.
At the Miami Grand Prix, Russell struggled to find his rhythm right from practice sessions. He admitted after the race that he never quite adapted to the track surface characteristics and driving feel. In the latter half of the grand prix, he even treated the race as a test session, constantly adjusting his driving style and brake settings in an attempt to identify the root cause of his problems. Even so, Russell stressed that genuine elite drivers do not crumble after a single poor race.
In my opinion, as an 18-year-old rising talent, Antonelli has mounted a genuine challenge to Russell with his stunning early-season form, leaving Russell on the back foot in the intra-team rivalry at Mercedes for the first time. Being “pushed to the brink” is reflected more in the points gap, form slump and public pressure rather than a total collapse of his racing ability. Whether Russell can bounce back will depend on his capacity to adapt to the car’s characteristics and make psychological adjustments.