Toto Wolff issues George Russell and Kimi Antonelli instruction for Canadian GP showdown

Kimi Antonelli heads into the Canadian Grand Prix 20 points clear of George Russell and on a winning streak.

George Russell and Kimi Antonelli will both challenge for victory in Montreal (Image: Getty)

Toto Wolff has urged his Mercedes team to change up a gear to see off the threat of their Formula 1 rivals in Montreal this weekend. McLaren in particular look threatening again after their Miami upgrades thrust them back into contention. Defending champion Lando Norris won the Sprint race and was second only to Kimi Antonelli in the main event.

But Mercedes remain the ones to beat having won all four Grands Prix so far, putting them 70 points clear of nearest challengers Ferrari. And Wolff wants his team to build momentum heading into the thick of the European season to build on their currently commanding lead.

“We head to Canada ready to get back into a regular rhythm of racing,” the Austrian said. “Our competitors took a step forward in Miami and we need to respond; seven Grands Prix in 10 weekends before shutdown is an opportunity to do that and build momentum.

“We bring our first update package of the year to Montreal, but we know that performance is only performance once it is delivered on track.”

Lando Norris and McLaren emerged as a significant threat to Mercedes in Miami (Image: Getty)

Mercedes hope those new parts will make the difference and put a performance chasm back between themselves and McLaren. And it could also be a crucial weekend for their internal battle between drivers. George Russell was the pre-season favourite but, since winning the Melbourne opener in March, has been outshone by teenaged team-mate Antonelli.

It’s early in the season but Russell would in danger of falling out of touch if the 19-year-old Italian extends his winning streak to four Grands Prix in Montreal on Sunday. He is already 20 points clear of the Brit thanks to wins in China, Japan and Miami.

Russell won in Canada last year and his return to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is being framed as a key weekend in his title quest. Though Wolff has moved to play down the importance of Sunday’s result. The Austrian said: “Despite being in the middle of May, we are just four races into the season.

“There is a long year ahead and, whilst this is an important weekend, it will not decide any outcomes. We will stay balanced, keep learning, and execute each weekend as well as we can. We won’t get too high when we succeed or too low in the difficult moments – that is as true for our drivers as it is for the rest of the team.”