George Russell started the 2026 campaign as title favourite, winning in Australia before Kimi Antonelli struck back with consecutive victories in China and Japan.
The 19-year-old Italian now leads his experienced teammate by nine points, prompting questions about Russell's approach to the intra-team battle.
Some have started to suggest that Russell must no longer be friendly with his team-mate as he bids to win his F1 championship.
For example, former F1 driver David Coulthard insisted Russell must stop being "Mr Nice Guy" and start eroding his younger rival's confidence.
With Mercedes dominating but Antonelli ahead, does George Russell need to be more ruthless against Kimi Antonelli?
Have your say in our poll below!
Also interesting:
Join RacingNews365's Nick Golding and Sam Coop as they dissect the biggest talking points in the world of Formula 1! In this week's episode, the start of the FIA's meetings over the new regulations is discussed, as is whether F1 would miss Max Verstappen.
Rather watch the podcast? Then click here!
Get the latest F1 news from RacingNews365 directly in your Google feed! Click on the link below and you’ll see your favourite F1 website appearing even more often. That way, you’ll never miss any news, analyses, interviews, or exclusives.
Follow RacingNews365 on GoogleMost read
In this article
Never miss a thing from the Formula 1 season! Add the 2026 F1 schedule to your calendar at the touch of a button. Subscribe below and put the dates and times of every race directly on your PC or smartphone, so you don't miss a second from the new season.
Download the F1 calendar Download the F1 calendar
A variant with just the race and qualifying is also available.
Click here to download it..
Join the conversation!