Mercedes permits free racing between George Russell and Kimi Antonelli
Mercedes has given George Russell and Kimi Antonelli the green light to compete freely against one another, provided they maintain mutual respect on track, reports BritPanorama.
This decision follows the discussions held within the team after a series of clashes during the Canadian Grand Prix weekend, where both drivers made minor contacts in the Sprint and the main race.
Russell described the team’s conclusion, stating, “It was left that we have to be trusted. This is what we do. We’re drivers. We push ourselves to the limit every single lap.” Antonelli confirmed that the team reviewed “all the episodes of the race” during their talks.
In Canada, Russell had secured a victory in the Sprint; however, he was forced to retire from the main race after just 30 laps due to an engine failure, which has left him 43 points behind his teammate in the championship standings.
Despite this setback, Russell remains optimistic about his title hopes, asserting, “It’s anybody’s to win still.” He added, “A lot of emotions in the moment, of course, but now when I’ve looked at it, I’ve looked over championships in the past, I don’t think there’s ever been a season where the winner hasn’t had some form of bad luck at one point.”
Antonelli, who has notably claimed four consecutive Grand Prix victories, acknowledged being “surprised” by his strong start to the season but stressed that discussions about championship prospects are premature. “It’s difficult to think about losing something when you don’t even have it. I didn’t win the championship, so how can I lose something that I didn’t even achieve?” he remarked, emphasising his focus on continual improvement in performance.
Both drivers anticipate that Ferrari will have the upper hand at the upcoming Monaco Grand Prix, given the street circuit’s layout which may minimise Mercedes’ power unit advantage. “It’s clear a big part of our advantage compared to Ferrari has been in the power unit and in Monaco, because there are not many straights, the power-unit advantage is substantially less,” Russell explained.
He concluded, “We know Charles [Leclerc] especially, but Ferrari, have always been very strong here so we expect them to probably be the fastest this weekend but I hope I’m wrong.”
In the wake of Russell’s engine failure, it has been confirmed that the battery sustained considerable damage, requiring sea freight transportation back to the factory. However, he anticipates that this incident will not have a lasting effect on performance going forward.
As the race weekend draws near, the tension of internal competition is palpable, underscoring the fine line between teamwork and rivalry that defines Formula One.
