The Telegraph: Russell may need a harder edge after Antonelli’s title

The Telegraph has suggested George Russell may need to be more ruthless to reassert himself at Mercedes after team-mate Kimi Antonelli clinched the world title at the Mexico City Grand Prix.

RacingNews365’s review of the international reaction says the newspaper sees Antonelli’s success as a possible shift in the team’s hierarchy. The paper also points to a psychological challenge for Russell, who entered 2026 as the more experienced Mercedes driver and a potential title favourite.

Antonelli secured his first drivers’ championship by finishing third in Mexico City. Max Verstappen won by 0.799 seconds from Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton. At 20 years and 68 days, Antonelli became F1’s youngest world champion, taking the record from Sebastian Vettel and becoming the first Italian to win the drivers’ title since Alberto Ascari in 1953.

The Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf focused on Hamilton’s frustration with Ferrari after team-mate Charles Leclerc crossed the grass while trying to pass him on the opening lap. Leclerc received a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. Hamilton criticised the team’s handling and suggested changes were needed to prevent similar incidents.

An NZ Herald opinion piece, meanwhile, pushed back against suggestions that Racing Bulls was deliberately undermining Liam Lawson. It argued that his difficulties should not automatically be treated as evidence of a conspiracy; Lawson finished in the points in Mexico.

Gazzetta dello Sport examined Mercedes’ investment in Antonelli, putting the spending on his development at more than €10 million over nine years.

Bild reported that Antonelli said he had to slow down on the final lap as tears filled his eyes. It also highlighted Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff’s view that the Italian had shown a driver could become world champion without being selfish.