Andrea Kimi Antonelli does not expect a repeat of the ‘Silver War’ at Mercedes this season. After three consecutive Grand Prix victories for Mercedes, the two drivers for the team, Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, are currently the main title candidates. It is a scenario similar to the earlier internal title fight between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, which became known as the ‘Silver War’ due to its intensity. According to Kimi Antonelli, his relationship with teammate Russell will survive a potential next Mercedes title fight: ‘Our strong bond will not change’.
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With three consecutive Grand Prix victories, Mercedes has started the 2026 season well. George Russell was already seen as the favorite for the title this year before the season, but teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli has also added his name to that list after his first two wins. It is not the first time Mercedes is heading for an internal title fight. Between 2014 and 2016, teammates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg also fought out a ‘Silver War’ multiple times.
Kimi Antonelli, however, does not expect a potential internal title fight to affect his relationship with Russell in a similar way. “I think our bond is very strong, and that won’t change,” he said during a session with a select group of media. “There is a lot of respect between us, and we have worked very well together so far.”
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‘Relationship will remain good’
Nevertheless, that does not deter the young Italian from taking on the role of title candidate. “This year is absolutely a huge opportunity for all of us, and especially for George and me, because we have a very strong car. We both don’t want to waste this opportunity, so we will do our best. But we are also very well aware that it is very important to maintain good team dynamics.”
“Of course, we have our own goals,” Kimi Antonelli continues. “Namely to win and be the best, but at the same time we want to help the team as much as possible to achieve their goal, which is to win the constructors’ championship.” The Mercedes driver therefore believes that the relationship with Russell ‘will remain strong for the rest of the year’.
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