George Russell "still not there" as Mercedes pressure builds after Dutch GP, says former F1 driver

ZANDVOORT, Netherlands — George Russell staunchly defended Mercedes' use of team orders to allow his championship-leading teammate Kimi Antonelli to pass him at Sunday's Dutch Grand Prix. As the Briton found himself in second place with Antonelli bearing down in fast, fresh soft tires and two Ferraris behind, having pitted during a virtual safety car period, Mercedes radioed for Russell to "invert" positions with the Mercedes teammate.

After initially questioning the necessity, Russell complied and allowed Antonelli to overtake. With Antonelli finishing second ahead of Lando Norris in a McLaren, and Russell holding onto third, the two teammates exchanged friendly gestures and dismissed the matter. Russell stated, "Kimi was ahead of me anyway, so he deserved to finish ahead," while Antonelli thanked Russell for making things easier on him, acknowledging it was a great team execution.

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff explained that the decision was straightforward, as Kimi was clearly ahead before the pitstop, and the team simply restored that order. However, the team clarified that Russell would have fallen behind Hamilton, who crossed the line in fourth if he had also pitied during the VSC period, thus ensuring they retained second place on a day when they lacked the pace to dominate.