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Kimi Antonelli has claimed that Mercedes’ ‘priority’ for the 2026 Formula 1 season is ‘very clear’ amid his title battle with teammate George Russell.
Before the 2026 season, Mercedes were labelled as the team to beat, with rumours circulating that they have the best power unit on the grid.
The rumours proved to be true as three races in, Mercedes have been the dominant force, with Russell winning in Melbourne before Antonelli clinched back-to-back victories in China and Japan.
Heading into this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix, Antonelli holds a nine-point lead over Russell and is looking to secure a hat-trick of wins.
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Kimi Antonelli reveals what Mercedes’ ‘priority’ for 2026 is
Speaking recently to Italian news outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport, Antonelli revealed that Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff made it ‘very clear’ that the priority is to win the constructors’ championship.
When asked if he was aware of Wolff’s demands, Antonelli said: “Yes, very much so.
“Toto in Australia, before the first race, put me and George in a closet and explained this point very clear: the team wants to win the Constructors’ title again; that’s the priority.
“Then, of course, we drivers race first and foremost for ourselves because we want to consistently win and be the best, but it’s important to never forget the team, because it’s thanks to them that we manage to get the results we do.”
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Kimi Antonelli says Miami Grand Prix weekend will be ‘interesting’
Being top of the standings, Antonelli knows he is being hunted from behind and after a month-long break, Mercedes’ rivals have arrived in Miami armed with upgrades.
The likes of Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull have all been working around the clock during the break in order to close the gap to the Silver Arrows.
Speaking about the weekend, Antonelli stated that the Canadian Grand Prix will be where Mercedes introduce their own upgrades.
He said: “We at Mercedes tested the various regulation changes during the break, and I don’t think there will be any major changes in this regard.
“But it will be interesting because almost all the teams bring a large package of updates to Miami, while we won’t have many developments in this race.
“If we can stay ahead despite the updates from our rivals, then it means we’re really very solid, and then in Canada it will be our turn to bring the developments.”
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