George Russell has been urged to stay calm if his Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli beats him once more on the upcoming Miami Grand Prix.
Russell has discovered himself trailing his younger Italian team-mate by 9 factors after the primary three rounds of the season. Whereas the Briton stays a favorite for the title, Antonelli is clearly posing a menace.
The 28-year-old driver began the season off on a excessive, profitable the Australian Grand Prix and Chinese language dash race, however points throughout qualifying for the Chinese language Grand Prix and an sadly timed security automotive on the Japanese Grand Prix gave Antonelli the chance to say essential factors.
Heading into the Miami Grand Prix, former IndyCar driver and F1 TV presenter James Hinchcliffe has argued that Russell mustn’t panic if Antonelli beats him on the Miami Worldwide Autodrome.
“He does, however I do not assume it is fairly as urgent time-wise as persons are making it appear,” Hinchcliffe defined on the F1 Nation Podcast when requested how essential it’s for Russell to show issues round.
“We’re in spherical 4. There’s numerous racing to go. Simply look again ultimately 12 months after the summer season break, you had a 34-point deficit between Piastri and Norris. And by Mexico, Norris had taken the championship lead again. So, a nine-point hole in Miami, I do not assume ought to stress anyone out.
George Russell, Mercedes
“Sure, you do not need Kimi getting an excessive amount of confidence. You don’t need him profitable in each kind of circuit and getting on an excessive amount of of a roll. However even when, like Piastri had that string of tracks that did not swimsuit him notably properly within the latter a part of final 12 months, and it added to the drop in efficiency proper as Norris was peaking. If Kimi is especially good at Miami, tremendous.
“Is he going to be good at Montreal? We do not know. He did OK there final 12 months. However so did George. He did higher. So even when Miami goes Kimi’s method, I do not assume it must be panic within the Russell camp.
“I feel they simply must, greater than something, keep cool, keep calm, do what he does. He is been driving so properly all of final 12 months, begin of this 12 months.
“All the pieces Kimi has finished properly, he has finished very properly, however there have been little asterisks beside each China and Japan. So, if I am Russell, I am making an attempt actually laborious to not panic as a result of he and the staff are doing nice. They only must focus and never let the success Kimi’s having get to them.”
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