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Kimi Antonelli Remains Cautious Amid Russell's Championship Pressure Remarks
Kimi Antonelli distanced himself from teammate George Russell's comments attempting to shift championship pressure onto him. The young driver emphasized that the season is still early and that he approaches the competition race by race.
Kimi Antonelli stayed calm despite George Russell’s remarks trying to place the championship burden on him. The young Mercedes driver said they are still in the early part of the season and that it is too soon to talk about the title fight.
Russell had claimed that Antonelli was now in a position to "lose the championship." This statement was also interpreted as a pressure tactic within the team garage, but Antonelli did not buy into it.
Antonelli Does Not Take on the Pressure
Antonelli said such psychological tactics are not new in Formula 1. He noted that people try to shift pressure onto the other side, whether it’s an external rival or a teammate.
The young driver emphasized that such words do not affect him. He focuses on races one by one, looks at the points standings at the end of the weekend, and then immediately moves on to the next race.
Antonelli also said he does not think about the championship when behind the wheel, only trying to do his best. He reminded that he has not won anything yet and added that he has nothing to lose.
Season’s Remarkable Rise
Antonelli is making headlines this season with the records he has broken. In Japan, at 19 years and 216 days old, he became the youngest driver to lead the world championship battle.
With his third consecutive win in Miami, he became the first Formula 1 driver to convert his first three pole positions into race victories. This streak later extended to five wins.
His only notable issue during the season was losses at starts. However, this streak was broken in Monaco; Antonelli led through the first corner both at the initial start and the restart following Charles Leclerc’s crash.
These results led to him being seen as the championship favorite ahead of Russell. Russell’s remarks sparked a new pressure debate within this context.
Praise from Wolff, Strong Message from the Paddock
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff congratulated Antonelli on the podium after the Monaco performance. Wolff said the young driver had full control over his car and emotions, maintaining composure even as the gap behind shrank.
According to Wolff, both he and race engineer Peter Bonnington tried to hold Antonelli back by urging caution in the garage. However, the young driver’s lap times were so consistent that they concluded it was his comfortable pace.
The Monaco victory also held special meaning for Mercedes. The team won in Monaco for the first time since Lewis Hamilton’s success in 2019.
Wolff said this was a long-awaited comeback for Mercedes. Meanwhile, Antonelli prefers to stay out of the pressure debates while maintaining his lead in the points standings.
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