Why Russell fell 130 points behind Antonelli in the same Mercedes
George Russell is 130 points behind Kimi Antonelli, in the same Mercedes.
What happened
George Russell is 130 points behind Kimi Antonelli, in the same Mercedes. Mercedes had the car everyone expected, and it looked like his year. His younger team-mate has nine wins to his three, and the title's already wrapped up.
To be fair, Russell's had most of the engine trouble. Mexico was the clearest case, and at Silverstone and Spa he had problems Antonelli never saw. But none of that explains a gap like this.
Austin shows why.
Why it matters
Antonelli took more speed through the opening sector on less throttle, which seemed to leave more energy for the longest straight. Russell picked the throttle up earlier, and it cost him down that straight. He says himself the driving hasn't been good enough.
He can pull a lap out in qualifying, then can't repeat it over a stint. So he's tried driving like his team-mate, and it hasn't come naturally. The Race reckons when it works he's as fast as Antonelli or faster, and honestly, I'd have built on that.
Chasing that style was the wrong fix. Copy the champion, or trust his own way?
