The Belgian GP once again left Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell separated by a large gap in the Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship standings, but Mercedes reaffirmed that it is not the time to favor the Italian driver in the 2026 season. The only exception applicable to both drivers is if there is a risk of another team taking the victory.

Toto Wolff used the Barcelona-Catalunya GP—won by Lewis Hamilton—as an example. Despite Antonelli’s DNF in the closing laps, the team principal considered that time was lost during the on-track battle between Kimi and Russell, which ultimately played into the hands of the Ferrari driver.

“After what we learned — in Barcelona, we lost so much time, didn’t we? — the target we have set now is not to lose time fighting amongst ourselves,” explained Wolff during a press conference attended by GRANDE PRÊMIO at Spa-Francorchamps on Sunday (19).

“We don’t want that yo-yo effect that ends up putting a Ferrari or a Red Bull right on our tail and costs us the win. Just like what happened in Barcelona: had it not been for the retirement, Kimi would have won the race. So, since Barcelona, our priority is always to secure the race victory,” he stressed.

Toto emphasized that the rule will apply to whichever driver is ahead on track, regardless of points in the standings, underscoring that the Constructors’ Championship is also on the line in 2026.

Toto Wolff guaranteed that it is not time to prioritize Antonelli in 2026 (Photo: Rodrigo Ruiz/Grande Prêmio)

“Whether it means Kimi or George is ahead, we will act accordingly. This is a Constructors’ Championship as much as a Drivers’ Championship. We would never take a victory away from either of them. If George is ahead, even if he is behind in the championship at that point in the season, we will not do that,” he concluded.

Antonelli won the Belgian GP, while Russell suffered an early retirement on Lap 1 after running out of battery power at the end of the Kemmel Straight and failing to avoid contact with Hamilton at Les Combes. The gap between the two teammates now stands at 50 points. In the Constructors’ Championship, Ferrari outscored Mercedes by 5 points at Spa, with 73 points separating them (358 vs. 285).

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