Overview
- After three straight wins capped in Miami, 19-year-old Kimi Antonelli leads George Russell by 20 points in the drivers’ standings.
- Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff says he will contain the hype around Antonelli and backs Russell to hit back in Canada with a fresh upgrade package.
- Pundits including Simon Lazenby and Will Buxton say Russell must beat his teammate in Montreal to stop talk of a slide in his title push, with a sprint weekend offering extra points.
- McLaren principal Andrea Stella still rates Mercedes as the benchmark, citing stronger speed in high‑speed corners and Antonelli’s superior late‑stint pace.
- Lewis Hamilton argues drivers have no formal influence on big decisions and urges direct collaboration with the FIA and Pirelli so tyre and rules changes reflect driver input.