F1 News: George Russell Has Bombshell Admission About His Driving - 'Don't Believe I'm Any Faster'

Saajan Jogia | Oct 12, 2024

Jun 9, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Mercedes driver George Russell (GBR) reacts next to winner Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (NED) after getting third place in the Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images / Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

Mercedes Formula 1 driver George Russell has acknowledged that his new teammate for the 2025 season, Formula 2 driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli, is likely to be a formidable competitor. Russell highlighted Antonelli's "exceptionally fast" pace, suggesting that it will certainly keep him "on his toes" in the upcoming season. Despite this, he has amitted that he doesn't think he himself is any faster now than he was when he was 17 years old.

Mercedes spent several months looking for Lewis Hamilton's replacement after his surprising Ferrari signing announcement in February. While team principal Toto Wolff claimed earlier that he had decided on Kimi Antonelli within five minutes of learning about Hamilton's move, the official announcement was eventually made during the Italian Grand Prix weekend at Monza.

Monza was also the location where Mercedes set up the 18-year-old for an FP1 run, showcasing his exceptional speed to the world. The promising pace looked great until Kimi Antonelli spun Russell's W15 F1 car at Parabolica, causing him to lose control of the premier class machinery and crash into the barriers.

While he escaped unhurt, his first run at his home circuit didn't go as planned, but it was good enough to demonstrate the kind of pace he could carry. Russell, who watched the action unfold from the Mercedes garage, emphasized that Kimi had the speed to become a worthy contender in Formula 1. Speaking to the media, the British driver said:

“I think I’ve always believed that you gain a lot over time with experience, in terms of how to deal with the race weekend, the tyres, the team, but I don’t believe I’m any faster today on raw pace than I was when I was 17 years old.

“And I think you’ve either got the speed or you don’t have the speed, and Kimi absolutely has the speed. He’s proven that in all of his categories.”

Russell acknowledged that Kimi Antonelli will make mistakes like many other drivers in their rookie years, while also admitting that he expects to be challenged by his pace. He added:

“There will be mistakes on the way as there were for all of us – I think every single driver on the grid in Formula 1 in their first couple of seasons made very visual mistakes, and that’s going to be obviously highlighted more for any driver who’s at the front of the field.

“But Kimi’s exceptionally fast and I’ve got no doubt he’s going to be really keeping me on my toes next year, and I’m really looking forward to a new challenge.

“Three years working with Lewis has been exceptional, but I’m really looking forward to seeing what we can do together from next year onwards.”