1996 Components 1 champion Damon Hill has likened the present Mercedes intra-team battle between George Russell and Kimi Antonelli to his personal expertise of going through a fiercely aggressive newcomer in Jacques Villeneuve.
With the 2026 F1 season properly underway, the motive force dynamic on the Brackley outfit continues to be a serious speaking level. Following his rookie marketing campaign final 12 months, having stepped into the seat vacated by seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, 19-year-old Antonelli turned the youngest driver to steer the standings early in 2026.
Talking concerning the present intra-team battle at Mercedes, Hill shared his admiration for the Italian’s unbelievable improvement. “Kimi’s had a season in F1, and over the winter there’s a sort of gestation interval the place all of the stuff you’ve realized within the 12 months sink in, and also you instantly come out combating,” Hill defined to F1.com.
“It’s been astonishing. He clearly has obtained an unbelievable expertise and maturity for a 19-year-old.”
Russell, who was a transparent favorite heading into the season, now finds himself in a tense battle along with his teenage team-mate. Hill in contrast the scenario to his personal expertise of keeping off his Williams team-mate Villeneuve.
Hill was Williams’ skilled driver in 1996 however discovered himself below risk from the Canadian rookie after Villeneuve secured pole place for his debut race in Melbourne.
“I believe with George… For me, when Jacques Villeneuve arrived at Williams, it was a bit little bit of that. He was 10 years youthful than me, however he’d additionally simply come off the again of a championship season in IndyCar, and he’d achieved quite a lot of success in one other senior formulation elsewhere. So, it’s barely completely different, and the end result of that was I beat Jacques, so George has obtained to do this by some means!”
Hill gained the championship in 1996 with Villeneuve in second, 19 factors behind. After the primary half of the 2026 season, Antonelli leads the standings with 219 factors, Hamilton is second with 169 factors and Russell is third with 160 factors.
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