Russell praises Antonelli
With the pre-season tests concluded, which had confirmed Mercedes’ superiority, it was expected that George Russell would dominate the scene, easily surpassing teammate Kimi Antonelli and the other drivers in the first races. A scenario that partially occurred in Melbourne, with Russell ahead of a still positive Bolognese driver, who finished 3″ behind the Briton; however, in Shanghai and Suzuka, #12 prevailed, while Russell paid the price for some unfortunate incidents, but also in terms of pure pace, he was not at the level of the championship leader.
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Russell is undoubtedly a fast and competitive driver, but now he faces a bigger challenge than he imagined. The spring break could reinvigorate him, first of all because he has abandoned the paternalistic and snobbish tone with which he treated Antonelli: now he knows he has a dangerous opponent at home, whom he can no longer underestimate, and even from his latest statements, he paints a very different picture, where Kimi is no longer the kid to be mentored but a talent on the verge of definitively exploding.
Russell’s words
“It’s fantastic to have Kimi as a teammate. He is an incredibly fast driver, and he has shown it ever since we became teammates last year,” these were the words of the Englishman.
“It’s been a perfect start to the year for him, I can’t wait to try and fight with Kimi again in the upcoming races,” he added. “I think all of us at that age felt a lot of excitement for what lay ahead. I remember when I was 19 and chasing the dream of becoming a Formula 1 world champion. And I’m still chasing it today.”
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