Rosberg anticipates a confrontation between Antonelli and Russell as the tension escalates.

      Nico Rosberg is convinced that a confrontation between Kimi Antonelli and George Russell is coming, as the young star continues to apply pressure on his more seasoned Mercedes colleague. Following the Miami race, Antonelli now holds a 20-point lead over Russell in the championship, thanks to an exceptional season start that has seen him secure all three of his Formula 1 victories from pole position—an unprecedented achievement in the sport's history.

      This scenario is becoming increasingly uncomfortable for Russell, who stepped into 2026 anticipating to finally take the lead at Mercedes in a dominant car after establishing himself as the team's top driver following Lewis Hamilton's exit. Publicly, Mercedes maintains that relationships within the team are calm and collaborative. However, Rosberg, the 2016 world champion, believes this won't last indefinitely.

      "Naturally, a clash between them is on the horizon," Rosberg, who famously had a notable rivalry with Hamilton while they were teammates at Mercedes, told La Gazzetta dello Sport. "We've already noticed how closely matched they are, and it’s only a matter of time before it happens, particularly if there’s a title on the line."

      Rosberg emphasized that Mercedes chief Toto Wolff must prepare in advance to prevent a toxic rivalry similar to the one he had with Hamilton. "When incidents occur on the track, they need to be managed off it," he stated. "This is advice for Toto Wolff. He should sit down with them, have discussions about everything, and be ready on how to act when confrontational scenarios arise."

      Rosberg also praised Antonelli, directly likening the young Italian to Max Verstappen. "A phenomenon," he remarked. "One of the greatest talents I've ever seen in karting, along with Max Verstappen. Last year, when he faced challenges and some doubted his abilities, I kept saying, 'Stay calm, give him time, he will succeed.' And that’s exactly what happened."

      Rosberg's current advice for Antonelli is straightforward: "Continue driving like this." He added that Antonelli must be able to tune out external opinions and focus on each race of the season.

      Former F1 driver Timo Glock, on the other hand, indicated that Russell may have contributed to his own struggles during the Miami weekend by being slow to adapt to Antonelli's setup choices. "If I’m lagging all weekend and see my teammate using a different differential setting, I need to try that out by Friday or Saturday at the latest," Glock remarked to Sky Deutschland. "You clearly know what the other driver is doing." "George Russell needs to respond more quickly if he finds himself four tenths of a second off pace."