Kimi Antonelli seeks Mercedes clarity after ‘very naughty’ Russell Sprint defence

Kimi Antonelli has said he will seek clarity from Mercedes over how he and George Russell go racing, after a dicey battle between the pair in the Canadian Grand Prix Sprint.

Antonelli looked to take the lead from Russell around the outside at Turn 1, before running onto the grass and dropping a place to Lando Norris, making his feelings clear on team radio – with team boss Toto Wolff having intervened.

Kimi Antonelli wants Mercedes clarity after George Russell battle

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Antonelli and Russell streaked away from the rest of the field early on in the Sprint, and the Italian looked to take the outside line at Turn 1 to then grab the inside line at the apex of Turn 2, but he found himself on the grass and dropped a place.

He felt Russell’s defence was “very naughty” and Wolff made sure to tell his young driver to “concentrate on the driving please, and not on the radio moaning” on team radio.

Antonelli explained the team holds pre-race meetings to lay out the rules of engagement, admitting he was “very annoyed” in the moment at how the pair’s battle unfolded.

That said, once he irons out what he needs to know from the team, added that “it’s all going to be fine” on track.

“We do meetings before races, and that’s what we say in the room,” he said after the Sprint.

“Then, of course, we race to win, and we try to do our best to defend our position. So, probably I understood the significance of that meeting a bit differently, but just obviously I need to recheck.

“My emotions were very high in the moment, and obviously I was very annoyed, but I just need to recheck, and for sure we’re going to talk about it, and we’re going to clarify on that.”

When asked if he will change his approach in future when racing his teammate, should Russell’s defending have been deemed within team boundaries, Antonelli replied: “For sure, I think probably we just need a bit of clarity, and then once it’s clear, then it’s all going to be fine.

“I think definitely I need to probably ask again, but the main thing for the team is that there’s no contact, that we don’t crash into each other, which today at the end was very close.

“I think that’s the most important thing for the team. Also, as a driver, you don’t want to crash into your own teammate. We all want the best for, first of all, each other, but also for the team, so for sure we will clarify, and everything’s going to be fine.”

As for Russell, he enjoyed the battle with his young teammate but assured that he was not in the wrong in defending his lead.

He pointed to the fact that the stewards did not place their battle under investigation as a sign that his defence was legal, but added that, as his teammate, the added pressure of doing so means he is always sure to leave additional room to avoid contact.

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“I mean, truthfully, I need to check it as well,” Russell said of the Turn 1-2 incident.

“From my side, I didn’t think I did anything wrong, and it wasn’t investigated, so I guess the race directors and stewards thought the same, but I need to check it.

“It is clear that between teammates we race hard and fair and no contact, and that’s always the objective. I wasn’t racing Kimi any harder than I would have raced Lando [Norris] in the same position.

“We’re both here fighting to win, and always in the past, even last year when we battled, I always gave Kimi a bit more room compared to anyone else.

“There was nothing untoward with the driving, and as I said, I don’t think it wasn’t even investigated, so that’s I think that says enough.”

Russell’s Sprint victory has trimmed his early championship deficit to Antonelli, with the Italian sitting top of the standings by 18 points.

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