George Russell has all but conceded his Formula 1 world championship hopes are slipping away after another setback at the Italian Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver missed a golden chance to close the gap on teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who started from 19th but stormed to a stunning victory at Monza.
Starting from second on the grid, George Russell needed a strong result to cut into the 59-point deficit to Andrea Kimi Antonelli. However, the young Italian produced a breathtaking drive, overtaking Russell with just three laps remaining to secure his seventh win of the season.
The result extends Antonelli's championship lead over his direct rival to 66 points with ten races still to go. Speaking after the race, a dejected Russell seemed resigned to his fate, though he stopped short of ruling himself out completely.
“Yeah, I mean, definitely Kimi’s in control of it and he’s deserving to be in control of it. For me personally, I’m not even thinking about a fight or a comeback or anything. I’m just focused on taking it race by race and trying to maximise every single weekend,” Russell admitted.
He added: “He’s performing incredibly well. It’s going to be exceptionally challenging to overcome that gap, so I’m just sort of accepting that it is what it is and I’m just going to enjoy it from here on in and try and win as many races as possible.”
Antonelli, on the other hand, is refusing to get carried away despite being on course to become the youngest-ever F1 world champion. “Definitely it’s been a very strong year so far, but still many races left and anything can happen. We’ve seen how things can swing very quickly,” he said.
“So, on my side, I just take it race by race, focus on things I can control and maximise every opportunity. This weekend we were fastest, but we never know. We might go to another track and suddenly McLaren is fastest, or Ferrari is up there, or even Red Bull with Max,” Antonelli explained.
The 20-year-old remains focused on the bigger picture, acknowledging that Russell is in great form and he must keep raising his game to stay ahead.
Baca Juga
Fred Vasseur menyesali insiden antara Charles Leclerc dan Lewis Hamilton di GP Italia yang merugikan Ferrari. Bagaimana tim menangani situasi ini?
Max Verstappen mengakui Red Bull tak bisa mengejar efisiensi energi Mercedes di GP Italia. Meski finis ketiga di Monza, ia masih terganggu masalah pada RB22.
Yuki Tsunoda lolos dari sanksi setelah penyelidikan posisi grid saat restart GP Italia. Poin ke-10 di Monza tetap sah, jadi poin pertamanya musim ini bersama Racing Bulls.
Lanjutkan dengan Google
Diskusi & Komentar (0)
Mari Bergabung dalam Diskusi!
Masuk dengan mudah untuk mulai memberikan komentar, membalas, dan berinteraksi dengan pembaca lainnya.
Komentar Terbaru
Belum ada komentar. Jadilah yang pertama!