Antonelli heads into this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix still leading the drivers’ championship, though his advantage was cut to 41 points after a costly retirement in Barcelona.
The Italian was on course for second before retiring with an electrical issue with three laps remaining.
That ended his run of five straight grand prix victories and allowed Hamilton to become his nearest challenger after claiming his first win for Ferrari.
The result also raised questions over Mercedes’ handling of its own drivers after Antonelli and George Russell raced hard against each other before Hamilton’s race-winning final stop under the Virtual Safety Car.
Team principal Toto Wolff admitted after the race that Mercedes may have cost itself victory by leaving its drivers free to battle, with the team having held discussions ahead of this weekend’s round at the Red Bull Ring.
Antonelli said Mercedes would continue to assess the circumstances of each race, but acknowledged outside threats could change the approach.
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“How we go racing, I think it will really depend on the situation,” he said.
“If we are under threat by other teams then we will race differently, but if it’s just me and him [Russell] we are going to be able to race free.”
Antonelli expanded on the point when discussing the growing pressure from Mercedes’ rivals, with Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren all expected to be factors in Austria.
“Of course, from now on, it’s going to be important to race even more wisely because it’s not just about George and me anymore, but the others are coming,” Antonelli said.
“So I think this weekend is going to be a weekend where I think all the top four teams will be super close because Ferrari’s bringing a new engine, a bit more powerful engine, Red Bull is bringing a big, big upgrade, which should give them a lot of performance, and also McLaren, they’ve been there ever since Miami.
“Definitely the way I’m going to go racing is maybe a little bit different. Also, it depends a lot on the scenario.
“If there are other drivers that are close, other competitors that are very close, then probably I would race in a different way than if it was just me and George racing.”
Wolff had questioned Mercedes’ approach after Barcelona, where Russell and Antonelli lost time while racing each other before Hamilton benefited from the VSC and emerged with the lead.
“And then today we try to race fair in the team game. But maybe it cost us the win today,” Wolff said after the race.
“And that’s something which we need to discuss with the drivers. How are we doing it if we’re fighting somebody else for a race win?”
Antonelli admitted the championship was becoming increasingly difficult to control, with Hamilton now in form and Russell also remaining a threat inside the same team.
Asked whether Hamilton, Russell or Mercedes’ recent reliability concerns worried him most, Antonelli replied: “All of them.”
“But it’s not worried or concerned. I’m aware that it’s not going to be a walk in the park.
“It’s going to be a tough battle because George is super quick, Lewis is in a great moment and is feeling the car and momentum.
“Definitely is going to be a tough battle, that’s why it’s going to be important to maximise every opportunity because Barcelona I had the issue at the end and lost a lot of points.
“Whenever I can, I just need to maximise everything because you never know what can happen.
“I wouldn’t write off the others either, I think you look what Max [Verstappen] did last year coming back from so far, that’s why it’s important to always be present, stay focused and just do your best.”
Mercedes has dominated the opening phase of the 2026 season, but its reliability has become a growing concern after two technical DNFs in the last three races.
Russell also retired from the Canadian Grand Prix with a technical problem, while Antonelli’s Barcelona DNF marked the first race this season Mercedes failed to win.
2026 F1 Austrian Grand Prix – Schedule, how to watch, TV times & more
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