Christian Horner: Kimi Antonelli has 'earned' the right to be Mercedes' number one
Christian Horner reckons the soon-to-be Formula 1 world champion Kimi Antonelli has ‘earned’ his right to become the outright number-one driver at Mercedes after a dominant 2026. The 20-year-old holds a 102-point lead over team-mate George Russell in second with six rounds remaining this season, so he can clinch the title in Austin next time out. Antonelli has achieved this in only his ... Keep…
Christian Horner, Mercedes' chief, believes that upcoming Formula 1 world champion Kimi Antonelli has earned his right to be the team's number one driver. Antonelli, just 20 years old, currently leads his team-mate George Russell by a whopping 102 points with six races to go this season. He has achieved this remarkable feat in his very second year of Formula 1, claiming 14 podium finishes, including eight wins.
On the other hand, George Russell entered 2026 as the title favorite, but Antonelli's impressive performance has put him in a commanding position. In an interview with Autosport, Horner revealed that he understands the challenge of keeping everyone happy within a team, but ultimately, the team comes first, and drivers are considered contractors.
He highlighted that Mercedes will have to take a position if there is a tight fight between Antonelli and a rival from another team, as failing to do so could lead to a championship threat, as witnessed in Williams' case with Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet against Alain Prost in 1986. Horner's approach at Red Bull has often been to prioritize one driver, a strategy that paid off with the dominance of Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen, who each won four world titles each.
Written by urgent.news from Motorsport.com's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
