Kimi Antonelli is currently stealing the spotlight from his Mercedes teammate George Russell in Formula 1. Following the Miami Grand Prix, the British driver responded firmly to questions about whether he had underestimated the young Italian.
“No, no, no—you cannot underestimate him. He is a fantastic driver, incredibly fast from day one. You don’t win multiple championships as a young driver without having the speed,” Russell stated to Sky.
The 19-year-old Antonelli had just secured his third consecutive Grand Prix victory. In Miami, however, Russell finished fourth behind the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, leaving him 20 points behind the championship leader in the standings.
Despite the setback, Russell remains optimistic. “I still have confidence. It was just a difficult weekend, but we’ve only had four races. There’s a long way to go, and we will work to bounce back in the coming weeks,” he said, looking ahead.
“It was a tough race,” the Briton summarized. “The start felt good, and I was in the mix. But the hard tire was nowhere. In the last ten laps, I found more pace by adjusting the brake balance, which gave me more than expected. Still, it wasn’t a good weekend, so we need to figure out how to return stronger in the next races.”
Russell had won the season opener in Melbourne, but since then, Antonelli has taken over with a winning streak. The next Formula 1 round takes place on May 22 in Montreal, Canada.
