Russell defends Mercedes team orders favoring Antonelli at Dutch GP

George Russell has defended Mercedes' decision to enforce team orders at the Dutch Grand Prix, which saw him cede second place to his Formula One championship rival and teammate Kimi Antonelli. The move aimed to secure a stronger result for the team amidst pressure from behind.

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I mean, Kimi was ahead of me anyway, so he deserved to finish ahead. Of course, when you’re in the race, you want to fight for every single position, but with the pace, with a new tyre, he would have overtaken anyway. So it’s the right decision and (I am) just happy to be standing on the podium.

Late in the race, Russell occupied second place while Antonelli, on fresher tires, was rapidly gaining. With two Ferraris also closing in, Mercedes instructed Russell to swap positions with Antonelli. Russell initially questioned the order but ultimately complied, allowing Antonelli to finish second and securing third for himself, completing a double podium for the team.

"I mean, Kimi was ahead of me anyway, so he deserved to finish ahead," Russell stated after the race. "Of course, when you’re in the race, you want to fight for every single position, but with the pace, with a new tyre, he would have overtaken anyway. So it’s the right decision and (I am) just happy to be standing on the podium."

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I feel we put George at risk with having to let me by and everything. But I still think, at the end of the day, it was a great team execution with how things were.

Antonelli expressed gratitude to Russell for facilitating the swap. "I feel we put George at risk with having to let me by and everything. But I still think, at the end of the day, it was a great team execution with how things were," the Italian commented. Team boss Toto Wolff affirmed that the decision was clear, as Antonelli had been running ahead before the pit stop sequence. He emphasized that the team would have made the same call if the positions were reversed, prioritizing the best possible outcome for Mercedes.

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It wasn't a very difficult call because Kimi was running second clear of George (before the pitstop) and that's basically the order we restored. So, completely normal. We would have done it the other way around also.