Former Formula 1 driver Johnny Herbert claims George Russell is ‘taking a battering’ from his Mercedes teammate, Kimi Antonelli, during the current 2026 season. Herbert’s assessment comes at the mid-season point, where a clear performance gap has emerged between the two drivers.
The intra-team battle at Mercedes has been largely one-sided. Russell secured victory at the opening race in Australia but has only added one more win since. In contrast, rookie sensation Antonelli has accumulated six victories, including a commanding run of five consecutive wins.
This performance disparity has placed Antonelli firmly in control of the championship fight. Heading into the summer break, the Italian driver holds a significant points advantage over his more experienced teammate. Russell currently trails Antonelli by 59 points.
Both drivers have been affected by reliability issues with the Mercedes W17 car. Russell, in particular, has faced a series of setbacks, including a power unit failure while leading the Canadian Grand Prix and a battery issue at Spa. Antonelli has also suffered non-scores due to car problems.
Herbert suggests that Antonelli’s consistency is proving ‘demoralizing’ for Russell. He noted that an ‘inner confidence’ is now shining through in Antonelli, who seems able to deliver strong results even on difficult weekends. This consistency, Herbert believes, is what is ‘eating at George’.
‘It’s not going George’s way at the present time, which is maybe another sign weirdly, that maybe George is not quite on Kimi’s level with the consistency that he’s showing.’
The situation has prompted Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff to issue a stern warning. Wolff stated he would ‘not allow’ a repeat of the toxic intra-team rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg from a decade ago. He has made it clear he would remove a driver from the car if their conduct negatively impacted the team.
Despite the points gap, Mercedes has indicated it is not yet prepared to impose team orders or give Antonelli preferential treatment. Deputy Team Principal Bradley Lord affirmed that the primary principle is for a Mercedes car to win the race, with the Constructors’ Championship as the main objective.
Earlier in the season, Russell himself conceded that the points deficit was a fair reflection of their respective performances. After nine races, he stated that Antonelli had ‘done a better job’ and deserved to be ahead in the standings.
