Kimi Antonelli has opened up on his relationship with Mercedes team-mate George Russell, saying he is desperate to avoid their title battle becoming 'personal'. The Italian teenager, who leads the championship by 50 points over Russell, admitted they are not the closest of friends but wants to 'maintain the good environment' at the team.
Antonelli wants to avoid repeating past animosities
Mercedes is experiencing its first title fight between team-mates since 2016, when Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton's rivalry created a toxic atmosphere. Antonelli is determined to avoid a repeat. 'We don’t want to recreate a bad environment in the team,' he told the Press Association. 'We don't want to split the team, we want the team to be united. Of course, sometimes, one of us is a bit p****d, not happy, but we move on.'
The closest the pair came to a falling-out was at the Canadian Grand Prix in May, when a near-miss in the Sprint race led to Antonelli accusing Russell of pushing him off track. Team principal Toto Wolff quickly shut down the complaint, telling Antonelli to discuss it privately. Since then, no public complaints have been made.
Antonelli focused on his own legacy
Antonelli leads the championship by 50 points over Russell and 45 ahead of Hamilton heading into the Hungarian Grand Prix. He turns 20 in August and is on track to remain at the top of the standings. 'The goal is to be one of the best in the sport and win as much as possible. I want to make my own legacy – to be remembered as definitely one of the greats,' he said.
He acknowledged the mental toll of fighting for his first world championship. 'Especially when you fight for your first world championship, it is mentally very draining. It is not easy. When you grow up and you have been in that situation over and over again, then you are able to cope with it much better. But I am not going to lie, weekends are demanding for me.'
Despite his strong position, Antonelli remains cautious. 'Finding myself in this position is surreal. If I can achieve the goal, it would be a dream come true. But the job is not finished. I have to keep pushing. I have to keep raising the bar. Many people ask me, 'Are you going to start thinking about the championship?' But that is pointless. The situation can flip in a millisecond. There is still a long way to go.'
