Kimi Antonelli revealed that he is willing to help George Russell in the qualifying session of the Formula 1 Italian GP, even while directly competing with his teammate for the championship lead. The young Mercedes driver will start at the back of the grid in Monza due to a penalty for changing his power unit.
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Antonelli arrives at the Italian round leading the drivers’ championship by 59 points over Russell and Lewis Hamilton, but the penalty completely changes his strategy for the weekend. Given the need to start at the back, Mercedes has already discussed the possibility of using the Italian to provide a slipstream for Russell on a track where straight-line speed can make a difference.
When asked if he would be willing to sacrifice part of his qualifying session to help his teammate, Antonelli confirmed that the matter has already been discussed internally: “Yes, this has been discussed with the team. And, yes, we agreed on some things. So let’s see how the session develops,” he said.
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The Italian made it clear that he will follow Mercedes’ guidance if asked to help Russell: “If the team asks me to do that, I will. I will still be happy if I get pole, but of course, I will start at the back, so if I can do anything to help the team, I will,” he added.
Although he acknowledged that winning his home race would be a source of satisfaction, Antonelli assessed that the grid position could also reduce the pressure on his shoulders: “I would be very happy if I won! Yes, it definitely takes the pressure off,” concluded the Italian driver.
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