Mercedes chief admits the hype around Kimi Antonelli is over the top right now

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Mercedes deputy team principal Bradley Lord thinks that the hype around Kimi Antonelli has been blown out of proportion as he establishes an advantage over George Russell.

The Italian is now 20 points clear of his Mercedes teammate after winning the last three races from pole position. Russell was considered the favourite for the title, but now, the momentum is swinging in Antonelli’s favour.

The Brit is struggling to find the right balance with the W17, while Antonelli is flourishing and proving to be a serious title contender. But ‘everyone’ is backing Russell to beat Antonelli in Canada, with Montreal being more suited to the experienced Mercedes driver.

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Mercedes are not ruling Russell out of the title fight in 2026 and are confident that he can find his form again. But it is clear that Antonelli is causing him serious trouble this season and he is just as determined to win the title.

However, with that said, the Silver Arrows are playing down expectations. Toto Wolff is shielding Antonelli from the Italian press, as the hype coming from the country has risen exponentially with his recent performances.

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Bradley Lord says expectations for Kimi Antonelli have been over the top in 2026

Deputy team principal and communications chief Bradley Lord addressed the hype around Antonelli and the criticism of Russell via CHAMP1, and stated that everything has been blown out of proportion for both drivers.

He said: “So, Kimi is still 19, he’s got one season’s experience under his belt and there will always be ups and downs, because that’s quite normal in the development of a young driver and we mustn’t forget that.

“So at the moment, the hype surrounding Kimi and the media coverage, I’d say, is more in his favour and against George, and as always, the whole thing is much more hype than substance.

“We know what we’ve got in George. We’ve got a driver with world champion potential, with almost 10 years’ Formula 1 experience, who is not only extremely fast, but is also probably one of the hardest workers on the grid.

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“And he will most certainly come back, fight his way back. He had a difficult weekend in Miami, where he couldn’t get the car to feel the way he wanted it to.

“So, he hadn’t found the grip and hadn’t felt it, and that cost him performance. We’ve been working on the setup. He also found solutions during the race that helped him make progress.

“And despite a difficult weekend, he secured fourth place twice. Those are the points that ultimately make the difference at the end of a long season.”