Formula 1 is preparing for the final double-header before the summer break, with the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps followed by the Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest. As the championship enters a crucial stage, attention is increasingly turning to the battle at the front and the contrasting performances within the Mercedes garage.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli currently holds a 25-point advantage over George Russell in the Drivers’ Championship and leads Lewis Hamilton by 32 points. Charles Leclerc completes the top four, sitting 71 points behind the championship leader.
Pino Allievi questions George Russell’s season
Charles Leclerc’s victory at Silverstone has reignited the debate over whether Ferrari should consider introducing team orders during the second half of the season. However, veteran Italian journalist Pino Allievi believes it is still too early for Ferrari to establish a clear hierarchy between its drivers.
Speaking to the Italian media Allievi explained that, in his opinion, Ferrari should avoid making rushed decisions. Instead, if he were in Toto Wolff’s position at Mercedes, he would already be thinking about a different type of hierarchy.
“At Mercedes, the team dynamic is a little different. So far, Mercedes has only had one driver. The other one is lost—we don’t know where the real George Russell has gone,” Allievi said during the interview.
The experienced journalist then turned his attention to Andrea Kimi Antonelli, praising the young Italian for the consistency and maturity he has displayed throughout the 2026 Formula 1 season.
“Andrea Kimi Antonelli has been incredibly strong and has made almost no mistakes. He’s paying the price for several retirements that have cost him around 38 to 40 championship points.”
Antonelli shines while Russell searches for answers
Allievi’s comments reflect the current championship picture, where Andrea Kimi Antonelli has consistently extracted the maximum from the Mercedes package despite suffering reliability problems that have significantly affected his points tally.
By contrast, George Russell has struggled to match the level of performance many expected after entering the season as one of the favourites for the championship. While Mercedes has shown race-winning pace on several occasions, Russell has yet to consistently convert the car’s potential into the results needed to challenge at the top of the standings.
With Spa-Francorchamps and the Hungaroring marking the final two races before Formula 1’s summer break, the upcoming weekends could prove crucial not only for the championship battle but also for George Russell’s attempt to rediscover the form that established him as one of the grid’s leading drivers.
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