Kimi Antonelli, George Russell to discuss racing rules as Lewis Hamilton Mercedes, Ferrari title threat grows over Austrian GP | F1 News

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has said the team will discuss how Kimi Antonelli and George Russell compete with each other going forward due to Lewis Hamilton’s potential championship threat.

The Mercedes drivers were engaged in a mid-race battle for the lead at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix but lost time in doing so to eventual race winner Hamilton, who was charging behind them on new tires after the second pit stop.

Hamilton handed Mercedes their first race-day defeat of the season and while Antonelli retired late in second place, the Ferrari driver cut the Italian’s title lead to 41 points and extended his own buffer over Russell to nine points.

Of his drivers’ mid-race scraps at Barcelona, ​​Wolff said: “We didn’t interfere in their fight, because that’s how we’ve always raced.

“But it’s a situation that we need to look at in the future with both drivers, how to manage a situation where we’re fighting for the win or (we’re) at risk of losing the win.

“And it’s going to be an interesting discussion, but always completely transparent in the best interest of the team.”

It wasn’t the first time this season that Russell and Antonelli clashed over a race lead.

Their most dramatic battle to date came in Canada last month, when they went wheel-to-wheel and nearly collided in both the sprint and grand prix.

Speaking ahead of the following race in Monaco, Antonelli said the team was happy to compete “freely with each other as long as there is respect” without the need for overly-prescribed rules.

Wolff said the growing threat from Ferrari and Hamilton could necessitate a reordering of events with the team’s overall prospects at stake.

“Now a third party is getting involved in the championship fight, the manufacturer and the driver,” added the Mercedes team principal.

“And in that case, we will discuss internally with the two drivers how we want to handle situations where we risk holding each other up.

“I think it’s not going to be a problem. It might just be that we need to recalibrate.”

‘If he smells blood, he’s gone’ – Wolff warns of headlines chasing Hamilton

While leaders Mercedes remain favorites for both world championship crowns, Hamilton’s season has gained impressive momentum in recent weeks with the seven-time world champion’s first grand prix win for Ferrari coming hot on the heels of back-to-back second-place finishes in Spain.

So the specter of Hamilton’s challenge for a record eighth world title has increased significantly and Wolff, who has been team boss to six British championship wins at Mercedes, is wary of how his former driver can feed off the momentum.

“I’d rather not fight him for the title because I know what he’s capable of,” Wolff said.

“If he smells blood, he goes (for it).

“I’ve seen over the years where suddenly the Lewis Hamilton train starts going and then it’s very hard to stop.”

‘We will really see what Russell and Antonelli are made of – Villeneuve in the title race

Sky Sports F1’s Jacques Villeneuve, the 1997 world champion, speaking on the F1 Show podcast:

“We thought it would be an inter-team title battle. Ferrari were there but behind and not close enough to give Mercedes a hard time – maybe for a couple of laps at the start of the race but then they’d drop back.

“But now it looks like Ferrari, mainly with Lewis but also Leclerc in the fight, will give Mercedes a hard time.

“It will put pressure on Mercedes and their drivers. Then we will really see what Russell and Antonelli are made of when the drivers they are up against are not their teammates.

“You don’t have the data, you don’t know what’s going on in the other team. It creates a different kind of stress.

“When it’s your teammate, you know how hard you can fight, or not, and what setup they have.”

Sky Sports F1’s Austrian GP schedule

Thursday 25 June
2pm: Drivers press conference
5pm: Paddock uncut

Friday 26 June
8.50am: Exercised F3
10am: F2 exercise
12.00pm: Austrian GP Practice One (Session starts at 12.30pm)
1.55pm: F3 Qualifying
2.30pm: Team bosses press conference
2.50pm: F2 Qualifying
3.35pm: Austrian GP Practice Two (Session starts at 4pm)
5.15pm: The F1 show

Saturday, June 27
9am: F3 sprint
11.15am: Austrian GP Practice Three (session starts at 11.30am)
1.10pm: F2 Sprint
2.15pm: Austrian GP Qualifying Build-up*
3pm: Austrian GP Qualifying*
5pm: Ted’s qualifying notebook

Sunday 28 June
7.35am: F3 Feature Race
9.05am: F2 feature race
10.50am: Porsche Supercup
12.30pm: Austrian GP Build-up: Grand Prix Sunday*
2pm: Austrian Grand Prix*
4pm: Austrian GP Reaction: Checkered flag
5pm: Ted’s Notebook

*Also on Sky Sports main events

Formula 1’s European season continues this weekend with the Austrian Grand Prix, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports now – no contract, cancel anytime