The split in the Mercedes box
For an Andrea Kimi Antonelli who dominates Formula 1, there is a George Russell who seems to have entered a negative spiral with almost no way out. For certainly technical reasons, related to the difficulty of adapting to the new generation of F1 cars, but also psychological: starting as the captain of the Mercedes box, the 28-year-old suddenly found himself overtaken on the right by a young and aggressive teammate who could become world champion before him, who had waited many years for his chance to fight with less competitive cars. A situation that, in fact, splits the garage in two because while enthusiasm grows race after race on Antonelli’s side, Russell’s team faces one disappointment after another, and now even the taunts of rivals Max Verstappen and George Norris.
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How to manage Antonelli and Russell
The situation is well known to team principal Toto Wolff, who has almost always dealt with a dominant driver and another in difficulty: “For about 15 years now, I have experienced that one part of the box is happy and the other is not. It is simply part of this sport and our job, and the only thing I can do is try to be transparent and honest about everything. In the team, we always talk about every single scenario, we are giving the maximum possible support to both, whatever happens. That’s why sometimes it’s about giving a push of encouragement to the driver, other times about applying a bit more pressure. So that’s what I will continue to do”.
“Russell’s performance in Madrid compared to Antonelli? I don’t understand the reasons – Wolff continues during the same press conference after the checkered flag, which FormulaPassion.it attended – because you could see the pace he had towards the end, when he was catching up on Leclerc. He was the fastest on track, but after the first tire change that pace was gone. I really don’t know where the problem is and we have to analyze it because clearly the potential is there, both in him and in the car. We just have to unlock it. On the other hand, Kimi, given his grounded personality, is not distracted by anything outside the track. He has an excellent family situation and I see no risk of him losing his head, precisely because he is so dominant”.
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The psychological aspect that stops George
“In the coming years – he adds – we will continue to have discussions about what might distract him, what is good for him, the kind of environment he needs. As for George, as I said before, there can be good races and bad races, good years and bad years, but we are talking about a driver who has already won everything he could potentially win. He has won every single karting championship, F3 on his debut, F2 on his debut, up to Williams. We are talking about a top driver, but we need to understand what he needs to unlock that potential. Naturally, there is also the psychological aspect because, having a season like his this year, it is a hard blow. But great ones recover and I think Russell has everything it takes to fight for championships with Antonelli. Maybe this one went badly, but there will be others”.
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