Andrea Kimi Antonelli went head-to-head with teammate George Russell during the sprint race in Canada. The two Mercedes drivers fought fiercely, causing the young Italian to even go off track. For Kimi Antonelli, who lost his second place to Lando Norris, it is clear: ‘I was pushed off the track then’.
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For the first time this year, the young Mercedes driver did not fall back at the start. Andrea Kimi Antonelli was therefore able to immediately launch an attack on teammate and polesitter George Russell in the first laps. The fight for the win was intense between the Mercedes teammates, causing Kimi Antonelli to go off track twice. The Italian thus lost his second place to Lando Norris and crossed the finish line in third.
‘I was pushed off the track’
After the shortened race, Kimi Antonelli is immediately asked by interviewer Jolyon Palmer about the fight with Russell. “It was a tough fight,” says the young Italian honestly. “We both had the pace, so that didn’t make it easy. I tried to overtake, and I still need to review that moment. I was already really alongside him (Russell, ed.) and then I was pushed off the track.”
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The Mercedes driver admits some fault for the further course of the shortened race. “I clearly made a mistake when I entered turn eight,” continues Kimi Antonelli. “I braked too late then, and threw my race away a bit. It was still a good fight.”
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