Andrea Kimi Antonelli has revealed a shift in his relationship with Mercedes team-mate George Russell, claiming he was “not happy” to finish behind him in Formula 1‘s Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
The Italian rookie scored the best result of his career to date in Brazil, taking second in the race, matching his result in the Sprint Race.
Antonelli overcame contact with Oscar Piastri’s McLaren after a Virtual Safety Car restart to hold second place, also resisting a late charge by Max Verstappen behind him.
It was a stark contrast to Russell’s weekend, who struggled across qualifying and the race, in a rare episode of being out-performed by his 19-year-old stablemate.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Antonelli revealed that with his form burgeoning, his dynamic with Russell has altered, but insists of “respect” is felt between the two of them.
“My relationship with George is definitely changing,” he said. “It’s natural that he’s not happy to finish behind me, just as I’m never happy when I’m behind.
“The relationship has changed and will continue to change, but there’s a lot of respect between us and there’s a good dynamic in the team because we’re pushing each other.
“This weekend definitely gives us an incredible boost heading into Las Vegas, where the team was fantastic last year. We hope to be strong again.
“Obviously, the car has different characteristics compared to 2024, but the DNA is very similar.”
Antonelli enjoying ‘positive moment’ with Mercedes future confirmed
Antonelli has doubtlessly silence some of his critics recently, after a prolonged period of struggles that extended across most of the European leg of the season.
Since then, he has been able to extract far more from the W16, and appears far more comfortable in the car, setting him up for a season of natrually higher expectations in 2026.
“I’m coming off a positive moment,” he said. “Things also went well in Mexico, even if the result didn’t show the potential.
“The biggest difference this weekend is that we managed to put everything together, even the details.
“It was a really exciting result because I had a very dark period in the previous months. I managed to get out of it, so this podium is really special on a personal level too.”
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