Can Mercedes avoid Antonelli vs Russell civil war?
6/1/20261 hr 7 min
We ask what Toto Wolff’s version of ‘papaya rules’ should look like as he bids to keep battling Mercedes team-mates George Russel and Kimi Antonelli in line in the latest episode of The Race F1 Podcast.
Nelson Valkenburg and Scott Mitchell-Malm join Edd Straw to discuss the way the battle could and should be managed on track, and the risks of trying to keep too tight a leash on Antonelli and Russell.
We also take listener questions on Ferrari communications, Valtteri Bottas’s struggles, the driving style flexibility of the 2026 car and the chances of the field closing up at the front.
There’s also a look at the troubled form of Esteban Ocon and Alex Albon, McLaren’s strategy malaise and the focus of rule changes.
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Transcript preview
First 90 secondsSpeaker 00:00
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Scott Mitchell-Malm· Guest0:08
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Speaker 30:11
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Scott Mitchell-Malm· Guest1:09
[gentle music] The Athletic.
Edd Straw· Host1:14
[upbeat music] The race is on, and with the intra-Mercedes battle ramping up with every passing race, is it at risk of getting tangled up in its version