Kimi Antonelli, Russell is reeling: “I need a break”

At the halfway point of the Formula 1 World Championship, the numbers for Mercedes are stark: Andrea Kimi Antonelli leads the World Championship with 219 points and six wins, while George Russell is third with 160 points and two Grand Prix victories. The British driver suffered a problem at the start in Hungary and had to fight his way back from last place; after the race, he seemed very dejected.

“I’m past the disappointment phase now; if I keep getting disappointed by everything that happens, I’ll be disappointed every day of the week,” the Brit vented. “My pace was as good as anyone else’s on the track, and I hadn’t been able to achieve that for two or three races, so I’ll take the positives. But a lot of things have gone wrong this season.”

“I’ve never had a season like this in my career,” Russell insisted. “The problems are happening to me, but the whole team is experiencing them. I hope the situation improves. I don’t usually feel the need for a break, but this year I definitely do.”

After the Grand Prix, Antonelli kept his feet on the ground despite the clear lead in the standings: “It’s an important lead because our rivals are catching up; even McLaren has made a big step forward, and now we’re all closer together. We struggled a bit more than usual this weekend, but the team will work hard to come back stronger.”