A Breathless Chase
When George Russell crossed the finish line of the Australian Grand Prix as the winner, his words and body language seemed those of someone fully aware of having in his hands a car capable of giving him the world title. And certainly, the Englishman was not wrong, since Mercedes has so far secured all 5 poles and race wins held to date.
What Russell probably had not accounted for was the explosion of Andrea Kimi Antonelli, his 19-year-old teammate, capable of achieving 4 consecutive wins.
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And Russell’s dream is at risk of turning into a sort of nightmare, as the Englishman has started to accumulate several problems, the latest of which forced him to retire in Canada – probably due to a battery issue. Thus, Antonelli has surged ahead in the standings, taking a 43-point lead over his teammate. Russell’s frustration was clearly evident both in the gestures immediately following the retirement and in interviews: it will be up to Toto Wolff to keep his driver calm and focused already from the next world event in Monte Carlo.
Russell Puts Pressure on Antonelli
In interviews with television and media, George Russell explained: “It seems that now this world championship can only be lost by Antonelli. He has a huge points lead, it seems the gods do not want me in this fight, if I think back to the timing of the Safety Car in Japan, the failure in Q3 in China, the fight for pole and the problem while I was leading here in Canada. But now the pressure is gone: I will go out on track and enjoy every single race. I have nothing left to lose. I wouldn’t want to talk like this, but it is obviously frustrating because I would like to be in that fight. I hope luck can turn.”
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