Familiar tension mercedes

ANTONELLI TURNS PROMISE INTO MOMENTUM: Three races into the 2026 Formula 1 season, Mercedes has the fastest car and the beginnings of a problem it would have preferred to deal with later, with two drivers close enough in performance that wins will not fall neatly to one side of the garage.

The year began in Australia with George Russell doing what a lead driver in a competitive car is supposed to do, controlling the weekend from the front and converting that into victory, with Kimi Antonelli following him home to underline the Silver Arrows' return to the sharp end. The next phase did not overturn that picture, but it did begin to tilt it.

In China, Russell again showed his underlying speed with a sprint pole and win, but the main race belonged to Antonelli, who took pole and then won his first grand prix, looking entirely comfortable dictating terms rather than reacting to them, reports Xinhua.