Kimi Antonelli voices George Russell fear about Toto Wolff

Kimi Antonelli insists neither he nor George Russell wants to "upset" Mercedes boss Toto Wolff as the pair engage in an intra-team fight for the F1 drivers' title.

The 19-year-old, who leads the championship by 43 points from his team-mate after a remarkable start to his debut season, addressed the dynamic inside the Brackley-based squad's garage with two drivers vying for the crown.

The comments come following the pair's spirited on-track battles at the Canadian Grand Prix. During the sprint in Montreal, Russell squeezed Antonelli wide at Turn 1, making light contact and forcing the Italian across the grass.

Antonelli was furious on team radio, branding Russell's move "very naughty" and calling for a penalty, insisting he had been alongside.

Wolff was forced to intervene twice on the radio during the sprint, telling Antonelli to concentrate on his driving rather than complaining.

Between sessions, a meeting was held with both drivers and their team principal to clarify the team's rules of engagement.

"We are both in an excellent position, we both have a great car, and we both want to win," the young Italian driver told Sport.de.

"During the races, we naturally want to treat each other fairly, we don't want to cause chaos in the team, and of course, we don't want to upset Toto."

A season of firsts

Despite the intra-team tensions, Antonelli's form this year has been nothing short of extraordinary: four wins from five grands prix, all in succession from China through to Canada, have made him the first driver in F1 history to win his first four grands prix consecutively.

He is also the youngest driver ever to lead the championship and the first teenager to do so, but with that comes relentless pressure, intense scrutiny and an extreme weight of expectation.

"When we race, of course, we race to win. We want to be the best and sure, we race for ourselves - but also for the team," Antonelli said. "I know I can win, but I don't want to think about it and lose my head."

The four-time grand prix winner explained that he does not want to "drive races while thinking about the championship."

He added: "The season is still so long. I'll continue driving as if I have nothing to lose. Because I can't lose anything I haven't achieved yet."

Antonelli admitted after his maiden victory in China that it had "overwhelmed" him. "But the team helped me to collect myself again," he said.

"Then we focused on the next race, and of course, I also have a great family who make sure I stay grounded and never lose sight of the big goal."