Lord: Wolff said Russell made Antonelli's promotion possible

Bradley Lord says Toto Wolff told Mercedes staff that George Russell's calibre made it possible for the team to take the calculated risk of promoting Kimi Antonelli as a rookie.

Lord, Mercedes' deputy team principal, said on the NU Silver Arrows Radio Show that Wolff emailed the whole factory last week to underline Russell's part in the team's success. Lord added that the excitement around Antonelli's development should not obscure Russell's ability to race for and win world championships.

Antonelli joined Mercedes in 2025 after Lewis Hamilton moved to Ferrari. In his second F1 season, the Italian became the youngest world champion in the sport's history at the Mexican Grand Prix.

Russell started 2026 as a clear title favourite and won the season-opening Australian Grand Prix and the Chinese sprint race. He then encountered numerous problems, most outside his control, but helped Mercedes secure the constructors' title in Brazil. Lord described 2026 as both the most successful and the most challenging and disappointing season of Russell's F1 career. Russell is third in the championship, 17 points behind Max Verstappen in the battle for second.