Ralf Schumacher warns that George Russell needs to show himself more. The British driver has lost ground to teammate Kimi Antonelli in the past three races. The young Italian has now built up a lead of no less than twenty World Championship points. According to Schumacher, Antonelli – now the clear ‘number one’ within Mercedes – is gradually gaining the upper hand, unless Russell finally drops his mask.
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“I have to be honest, Kimi Antonelli completely outclassed George Russell in Miami,” said Schumacher in a broadcast of the German branch of Sky Sports. “It’s that simple. The differences were huge, also in terms of lap times.” Schumacher believes that the power balance within Mercedes is gradually shifting, and in favor of Antonelli. “For Toto Wolff, the situation is perfect, because he now has his number one driver,” said the German. “Someone who can fight for the world championship, alongside a Russell who can still score important points.”
Russell faces difficulties
“There will also be some changes within the team,” Schumacher explained. “They will increasingly listen to Antonelli. Moreover, he clearly has a lot of influence together with his race engineer.” Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington – who previously supported Lewis Hamilton – is an important link within the Mercedes garage and nowadays Antonelli’s right-hand man. “It will be interesting to see if Russell can still turn the tide,” said Schumacher. “I think that will be difficult for him.”
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“He is a fantastic F1 driver and with his experience still has a chance at the title,” added the six-time GP winner. “But you notice that it’s no longer as straightforward as before and that he is starting to doubt himself. His teammate is currently faster, while Russell looks tense.” Schumacher was also critical of the way Russell presents himself. “I don’t find him authentic,” he said. “He plays a certain game with his English politeness. At the moment, that backfires because he is not fully himself. I think it would do him good to really express his opinion. Everyone from the outside can see that this approach doesn’t work.”
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