Mercedes team orders may now be on the table as Toto Wolff could react to Ferrari’s rising threat, former Haas boss Guenther Steiner warned.
Mercedes team orders may be considered
Steiner told The Red Flags Podcast that Wolff will not shy away from directing the pair of Mercedes drivers if Lewis Hamilton and the Scuderia’s performance gains traction for the constructors’ and drivers’ championships.
“Kimi Antonelli has won five races and Russell only one, so Kimi still sits in driver’s seat, but if Ferrari’s form stays up, Wolff will issue team orders. He wants a win and will not let the championship slip,” Steiner said, echoing the director’s stance.
Ferrari’s surge reshapes intra‑team dynamics
After a strong comeback at Barcelona-Catalunya, where Hamilton took his first seat‑win for Ferrari, Antonelli has continued a streak that now places him 41 points ahead of Hamilton in the standings. Russell trails Hamilton by nine points. The Italian‑American has also earned victories in China, Japan, Miami, Canada and Monaco.
Steiner added that Mercedes has already held strategy meetings and will act “as soon as Wolff feels Ferrari will be a real contender.” The discussion directly links team orders to the risk of losing the championship.
Anticipating the Austrian GP
The next round, the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring, runs 26–28 June. It will be a new battlefield to test whether Mercedes maintains free‑run racing or will impose orders in response to Ferrari’s momentum.
Photo: Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images.
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