P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Mercedes are sleepwalking into Red Bull nightmare
Mercedes is facing a driver problem, possibly following Red Bull’s trend in driver performance issues this season, especially if Kimi Antonelli doesn’t improve. Red Bull’s struggles with promoting unprepared drivers to race alongside Max Verstappen has led to a persistent driver problem, exemplified by Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda’s performance. This dilemma might arise again in 2026 if Red Bull chooses junior driver Isack Hadjar. While Hadjar has impressed, Antonelli has not met Mercedes’ high hopes, leading to questions about his capabilities. Toto Wolff may need to confront the reality that Antonelli might not be ready to replace Lewis Hamilton. With Renault facing a similar situation with Tsunoda, who has not delivered expected results, they risk falling behind Mercedes in the constructors’ standings. Consequently, Mercedes should consider a more traditional approach, like Williams’ strategy of developing drivers through F2 before joining the main team.
