Kimi Antonelli: Coulthard Was Brutal Toward George Russell

Andrea Kimi Antonelli pulled off the incredible feat of winning the Italian Grand Prix after starting from 19th position and even overtaking his teammate George Russell, who started from second place on the grid in the same Mercedes. The Italian driver now holds a clear lead in the F1 standings and is closer than ever to his first world title.

Former F1 driver David Coulthard was more candid than ever on the “Up to Speed” podcast regarding the British driver, who was defeated in the final duel with the Bolognese driver: “It was embarrassing. I really felt sorry for George because it was a real shock; you could see after the race how he took it in stride. Starting in the lead and being overtaken by his own teammate who started from last place…”.

“Now George is licking his wounds. Kimi now has seven Formula One wins, one step closer to the world championship title, and there are no signs that this will change in the future. We know George has won a Grand Prix; we know he’s fast, but he simply doesn’t have an answer for Kimi. Antonelli certainly has the situation under control now, and he deserves it.”

Russell himself doesn’t foresee a duel between now and the end of the season: “He’s putting in insane performances, and it’ll be extremely difficult to close that gap, so I’m just going to accept the situation and try to enjoy it from here on out, aiming to win as many races as possible. Personally, I’m not even thinking about a duel, a comeback, or anything like that. I’m just focused on winning one race at a time and trying to get the most out of every single weekend.”