George Russell emphasised the importance of putting ‘the team first’ as he prepares for the ‘exciting’ Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix.
Mercedes driver George Russell had a superb weekend in Zandvoort and heads into the Italian GP weekend on a high note. The Briton grabbed Sprint pole before securing the Sprint victory with a 1.360 second gap to the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc behind. His Zandvoort weekend continued successfully with a P2 in qualifying and a P3 finish in the Grand Prix.
His teammate, Andrea Kimi Antonelli also enjoyed a competitive weekend. well. But the Italian will be forced to serve a grid penalty this weekend in Monza after taking a new engine. As Antonelli has used four of four internal combustion engines and exhausts, he must take a 10-place grid penalty for a new component.
Mercedes elected to implement a full new power unit, leaving the Italian to start his home race at the back of the grid. With Antonelli on the back foot already before the weekend has begun, it leaves Russell with a huge benefit.
Teamwork implemented at Mercedes
The two Mercedes teammates are battling for the championship title. However, this time around, the implementation of teamwork in Monza has already been discussed. Asked about Antonelli being prepared to help him this weekend and whether it is a given that Russell, in turn, has to help him in the future, Russell emphasised the importance of teamwork.
“I think it just goes to show the level of teamwork we have at the moment between the two of us and how Toto [Wolff] also operates this team.” Russell said to media.
“I think that is a very good and unique opportunity for us, especially considering where we’ve both come from, being part of the programme from the very beginning. I think it’s the least we should be doing, obviously.
“Last week it worked well, and if the roles were reversed, the same would have happened. This week he’s willing to help me out in qualifying, which is great as well. That’s just the way we are as a team. I will be taking a penalty at some point in the future.”
Championship battle between teammates
Furthermore, the two teammates are separated by 59 points, with Antonelli being the man to beat. With Russell second in the Drivers’ Championship, tied on points with former teammate Lewis Hamilton, the hunger for more lingers. The Briton spoke about whether there will be a point at which every man has to fight for himself to secure the Drivers’ Championship.
“At the moment, that’s not really a consideration. I think we’ve always got to put the team first at this point. I think we’ve seen it in the past.
“If you are selfish, you’re only going to pinder on yourself later down the line. Probably, if it gets closer, it will just be agreed upon. That’s how we’re going to race him. For now, this is how we do things.”
Mercedes is no stranger to intense battles between teammates. This time around, the balance between teamwork and going in for oneself has clearly been a talking point for the team.
Russell expects Monza to be ‘a pretty cool race’
Historically, the Italian GP brings chaos, excitement, and memorable racing. Monza is the fastest track on the calendar, where the drivers reach full throttle for 80% of the lap. The long straights, combined with the tight chicanes, create a challenge for drivers at the Italian circuit.
Speaking about the powerful slipstream in Monza and the potential for yo-yo racing, Russell explained that he believes the race will be exhilarating.
“I think there’s a lot of excitement and opportunity this weekend at the races. We know the races at the energy-starved tracks haven’t been everybody’s cup of tea. I don’t think you can deny they’ve been pretty entertaining when we look at some of the races.” Russell said.
“Silverstone, Australia, and I think this is going to be the same again. You’ve got four long straights where you have to divide the energy up, and there will be back and forth. It can go wrong as well. If you run out of energy, it will be very difficult to recharge. But if everyone’s in the same boat, I think it will be a pretty cool race.”
READ MORE: Toto Wolff details Kimi Antonelli’s objective for Italian GP penalty recovery
Discussion about this post