Antonelli Seeks Mercedes Racing Clarity After Lap 6 Contact With Russell
Updated
Updated · ESPN · May 23
Antonelli Seeks Mercedes Racing Clarity After Lap 6 Contact With Russell
9 articles · Updated · ESPN · May 23
Kimi Antonelli said Mercedes must clarify its intra-team racing rules after lap 6 contact with George Russell forced the 19-year-old onto the grass in the Canadian Grand Prix sprint.
Antonelli believed Russell pushed him off while he was alongside at Turn 1, then lost more ground with a lock-up at Turn 8 that dropped him behind Lando Norris to third.
George Russell defended the move as standard hard racing, saying outside passes carry risk and noting stewards did not investigate the incident.
Toto Wolff said Mercedes will handle the dispute internally and decide with both drivers whether teammates should race each other like rivals from another team as the title fight develops.
Did Russell's defense cross the line, or was the rookie Antonelli to blame for their on-track clash?
Russell vs. Antonelli: Is this the start of a new civil war inside the Mercedes F1 team?