Former F1 driver turned commentator Martin Brundle believes George Russell will be feeling the sting after another defeat at the hands of team-mate Kimi Antonelli at the Italian Grand Prix.
Russell arrived at Monza trailing Antonelli by 59 points. But with the Italian taking a back-of-the-grid penalty for an engine change beyond season limits, the weekend looked perfectly set up for the 28-year-old to close the championship gap.
Despite missing out on pole to Pierre Gasly, things still looked promising on Sunday morning. However, Antonelli delivered a stunning charge, climbing from 19th to 12th before a lap three red flag, then reaching Russell's gearbox by lap 16.
Antonelli pitted for fresh rubber and quickly reeled in Russell before taking the lead in the closing laps. Instead of the points gap shrinking, it grew to 66.
Writing in his Sky Sports column, Brundle highlighted the team's strategy call that left Russell on hard tyres while Antonelli and Max Verstappen pitted to shed their used mediums. Russell admitted post-race that he thought both Mercedes cars would stay out.
“He said in the post-race interviews that he thought both cars were staying out. In the team press release, he's quoted very diplomatically as saying the team split strategies as it was not clear whether track advantage ahead of all traffic was the right way to go, or taking on fresh tyres. My guess is he's feeling bruised by how that played out,” Brundle wrote.
Brundle also praised Antonelli's relentless progress, cutting a 15-second deficit and overtaking the likes of Norris and Hamilton. With Verstappen embroiled in battles with both McLarens, it became an all-silver two-horse race. “Game on,” he added.
With the gap now closer to three race wins than two, the prevailing opinion is that Antonelli has not only one hand on the championship trophy but also a few fingers from the other. However, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff refuses to rule Russell out.
“Is that the championship decided? I don't know. It's too early to say. We have 10 races to go, or maybe nine, and it's motor racing. It's a technical sport, things can break, accidents can happen, and that's why we have to do our best job for both drivers, continuing to bring our best game,” Wolff said.
Baca Juga
Martin Brundle menilai George Russell 'merasa perih' usai kalah strategi dari Kimi Antonelli di Monza, yang memperlebar jarak poin mereka di klasemen F1 2026.
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