Kimi Antonelli’s unaired radio reveals Mercedes stopped him from fighting Max Verstappen in Malaysia

Unaired team radio messages reveal Mercedes instructed Kimi Antonelli not to battle Max Verstappen during the closing stages of the Grand Prix at Sepang. After leading early, Antonelli finished second behind Verstappen, who claimed his first victory of the 2026 season. Mercedes race engineer Peter Bonnington told Antonelli to prioritize the championship and focus on managing the gap to Ferrari.

Bonnington reminded Antonelli of the larger championship battle and warned him about track limits after teammate George Russell retired with a power unit failure. Antonelli questioned the instruction, but Bonnington emphasized avoiding unnecessary risks, as Verstappen sat well back in the standings. Antonelli's runner-up finish extended his Drivers' Championship lead to 84 points.