Nico Rosberg does not believe that Mercedes favored Kimi Antonelli during the Italian GP. The German saw how the young Italian and teammate George Russell could fight for the victory. Ultimately, Antonelli, who was on fresher tires after a VSC, came out on top; in the final phase, he got the ecstatic tifosi on their feet by coolly overtaking Russell. However, Rosberg sees no reason to suspect Mercedes of bias.
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Mercedes’ decision to only bring Antonelli in under the VSC led to questions about the team’s strategy afterwards, especially since Russell again lost ground in the championship. However, Rosberg sees no indications that his former team favored the Italian. “No, no, no, no, no, both had equal chances,” he declared on Sky Sports. “That’s how it should be. After all, they are fighting for the championship.”
‘Russell got the best strategy’
According to Rosberg, Russell, as the race leader, was entitled to the first strategic choice. “Within the team, it is very clear. George (Russell, ed.) leads the race, so he gets the best strategy to reach the finish as quickly as possible. He makes the first choice, regardless of where Kimi (Antonelli, ed.) is.” Yet Russell did not come in during the VSC, causing him to lose a lot of pace in the final laps on his used hard tires.
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According to Rosberg, Mercedes must be able to demonstrate that it was indeed wiser for the Brit to stay out. “That is what Mercedes now needs to confirm: that at that moment it was best for George to stay out and not come in for mediums. If that is the case, then everything is simple and fair.” Rosberg emphasizes that it is ‘difficult’ to fully assess that strategic choice from the outside. “George must get the best strategy, so this must also have been the best strategy.”
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