Toto Wolff reacts to Jacques Villeneuve’s ‘history’ idea for backing Kimi Antonelli to win F1 title

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Toto Wolff insists that Mercedes want to keep the 2026 title fight “fair”, after Jacques Villeneuve suggested that they can make “history” by backing Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli has started to run away with the F1 drivers’ championship after just six rounds. He boasts a 66-point lead at the top of the standings over Ferrari racer Lewis Hamilton, with his Mercedes teammate George Russell now 68 points adrift back in third place after a dire run.

Russell has now threatened to strike back at Antonelli’s recent dominance at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix by scoring pole position ahead of Hamilton and the Italian. A margin of just 0.064s saw Russell beat Hamilton to pole in Barcelona, while Antonelli was 0.319s away.

George Russell on pole, with Kimi Antonelli off the front row for the first time in 2026 😮‍💨 Who was the biggest surprise in qualifying in Barcelona?

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Toto Wolff insists Mercedes will not back Kimi Antonelli to win the F1 title over George Russell

Given Antonelli’s points lead over Russell heading into the Barcelona-Catalunya GP in round seven of this year’s scheduled 22 events, Villeneuve suggested to Wolff after qualifying that Mercedes should consider backing the Italian given he can be F1’s youngest-ever champion.

READ MORE: The youngest F1 drivers’ champions as Andrea Kimi Antonelli chases history

“The goal is to be world champion, obviously with either driver,” Villeneuve put to Wolff on Sky Sports F1 (13/06, 16:31). “But if you win with Kimi, you rewrite the history books with the youngest driver ever. Does that weigh in the balance a little bit?”

Sebastian Vettel currently boasts the record for being F1’s youngest-ever drivers’ champion, but Antonelli can obliterate the German’s record if he claims the 2026 F1 crown. Vettel won the first of his four-straight titles in 2010 aged 23, while Antonelli will only turn 20 in August.

But while history could await Antonelli this year, Mercedes CEO and team principal Wolff is clear that the Silver Arrows still want to treat the Bologna boy and Russell equally. He feels both drivers have earned the chance to win an F1 title, and wants “the best man” to win.

To which, Wolff responded: “Whatever the outcome is, we’re happy with that. If Kimi does it, it’s unbelievable. It hasn’t been done before. If George does it, it’s long deserved. Then Kimi’s time is going to come, so we are totally open to that.

“May the best man win. And we’re trying to keep it fair, and open, and transparent, and lovely, and pressurising whatever is needed.”

Russell will hope to get his F1 title bid back on track and benefit from Wolff’s desire to give both Mercedes drivers equal treatment if the Briton can win Sunday’s Barcelona-Catalunya GP. But a sixth consecutive Grand Prix victory for Antonelli would be a bitter pill to swallow.