Kimi Antonelli Admits Russell Fight Was “On the Edge”

Kimi Antonelli admitted his fierce battle with team-mate George Russell during the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix was “on the edge” as the two Mercedes drivers fought aggressively for victory in Montreal.

The internal Mercedes rivalry intensified significantly throughout the Canadian Grand Prix weekend. After tensions first emerged during the Sprint race, the pair resumed their no-compromise fight in Sunday’s grand prix under the “no space given” approach previously authorised by team principal Toto Wolff.

Antonelli ultimately secured victory after Russell retired from the lead with a power unit failure. However, the Italian driver admitted the battle would likely have continued until the chequered flag had Russell avoided technical problems.

Baca JugaLeclerc Ungkap Penyebab Tertinggal Jauh dari Hamilton di Kanada

"It was a tough fight. A couple of times maybe it was a little bit on the edge, but we were going at each other. We were both pushing hard and we both wanted to win," Antonelli explained.

The 19-year-old also acknowledged the duel produced one of the most entertaining battles of the season so far, with both drivers operating at the absolute limit during the opening phase of the race.

"I think for everyone watching it was very entertaining. We were both pushing on the limit and really going for it," he added.

The tension between the Mercedes pair had already become evident during the Sprint race when Antonelli believed Russell had forced him off the circuit at Turn 1. The Italian even called for the stewards to penalise his team-mate over team radio, prompting Toto Wolff to intervene directly and calm the situation.

Despite the friction inside Mercedes, Antonelli considered the Canadian weekend a positive one overall after extending his championship lead to 43 points. Nevertheless, he admitted the circumstances surrounding the victory were not entirely satisfying.

"Of course it wasn't really the way I wanted to win because it was a very close fight with George and I think we would have battled all the way until the end. But this time it went well for me and bad for him. Another time it could be the other way around," Antonelli said.

From a race pace perspective, Antonelli believed he held the advantage during the latter stages of the opening stint. According to the Mercedes driver, Russell appeared quicker initially before tyre degradation gradually shifted the momentum.

"I think at the end of the stint I had a bit of the upper hand because I had slightly more pace. George was quicker at the beginning but then his tyres degraded more. It would have been very interesting to see how the fight ended," he explained.

The growing rivalry between Russell and Antonelli is rapidly becoming one of Formula 1’s defining storylines in 2026. With Mercedes dominating the championship and both drivers now directly fighting each other on track, Toto Wolff faces the increasingly difficult challenge of balancing internal competition while protecting the team’s title campaign.