Andrea Kimi Antonelli says his Mercedes F1 workforce “cannot connect strings to the drivers” because the title race tightens.
Staff principal Toto Wolff instructed after the Canadian Grand Prix that the workforce might must put a “handbrake” on the brawl between Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, who’ve clashed a number of occasions.
Nevertheless, Kimi Antonelli confirmed that following talks between Montreal and Monaco, it was reaffirmed that he and Russell are free to participate within the race so long as it doesn’t result in harm to the automobile.
Russell and Antonelli traded the lead for the primary 30 laps.
When requested for his newest ideas on his place at Mercedes, the Italian mentioned: “We had a dialogue after the race weekend.”
“Truly, earlier than I got here right here, we had a ingesting occasion just a few days in the past and we talked.
“We checked out each episode of the race, and mainly the underside line of the dialogue was that we had been free to race in opposition to one another so long as there was respect and so long as we did not put ourselves in conditions that may very well be damaging to both or each of us.
“So groups don’t need to set guidelines.
“In fact they need each vehicles to complete and get as many factors as attainable for the workforce, which is comprehensible.
“And that is usually in our minds, too, as a result of we’re racing for ourselves and we need to be the most effective and we need to win.”
“However we additionally race for the workforce as a result of we need to reward them, as do the over 2,000 individuals who work in Brackley and Brixworth, and the workforce additionally desires to win.”
“So we acknowledge that we’re going to proceed to race one another like we did in Canada.
“In fact, it is somewhat extra wise, however there isn’t any doubt that the groups need us to race freely, as a result of that is how it’s to place strings on drivers who’re combating for wins and championships.”
“I can not say to him, ‘Oh, simply sit there’. In fact it might probably occur, however the workforce desires us to race pretty.”
After the Montreal race, Russell instructed that Antonelli would lose the world championship given his early lead.
However the 19-year-old does not see it the identical method.
“To be honest, I do not actually weigh that line,” he says.
“It is nonetheless early within the season, there are nonetheless 17 races left, possibly extra, so it is nonetheless very early to be pondering or speaking in regards to the championship.
“So, yeah, to be honest, I simply hold making an attempt to excel and each time I get within the automobile I hold making an attempt to do my greatest and maximize the outcomes after which we’ll see the place we find yourself on the finish of the season.”
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“However I additionally suppose it’s laborious to consider dropping one thing whenever you don’t even have it.
“We didn’t win the championship, how can we lose one thing we haven’t even achieved?
“So undoubtedly we will race as a lot as we at all times do, have as a lot enjoyable as we at all times do, and like I mentioned earlier than, see the place we land on the finish of the season.”
Requested which of Mercedes’ two drivers was beneath extra stress, himself because the chief or Russell because the chaser, Antonelli instructed he was feeling none in any respect.
“To be honest, I do not really feel that a lot stress,” he mentioned.
“I am fairly relaxed in regards to the scenario as a result of, like I mentioned, it is nonetheless early within the season and I simply need to hold doing what I am doing, increase my degree and attempt to win as many video games as attainable.”
“And naturally George is a really sturdy teammate and he’ll make my life very tough. However for me, I am simply making an attempt to cope with each scenario in one of the best ways attainable and be good at what I do.”
