(Motorsport-Total.com) – At last weekend’s Formula 1 event in Zandvoort, George Russell let his Mercedes teammate and championship rival Kimi Antonelli pass without resistance in the fight for second place. Now the Brit is about to receive a favor from the young Italian: Antonelli will provide Russell with a slipstream in qualifying, giving him a big advantage.
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“If the team asks me to, I will do it,” Antonelli confirms ahead of his home race in Italy. Since the local hero has to start from the very back anyway due to an engine change, he has no sporting ambitions in qualifying and can fully dedicate himself to the service of the team.
“So if I can do anything to help the team, I will do it,” he nods.
That means for him that he will try to make it into Q3, and then dedicate himself to helping Russell by giving him a slipstream on the long straights. This is especially important in Monza compared to other tracks and has caused some curious scenes in recent years because no one wanted to be first on the track.
Russell praises good teamwork
Due to the limited energy amount, the slipstream will likely be a valuable asset again in 2026 – and one that Russell can count on. “I think it just shows how well the teamwork between the two of us is currently working,” praises the Brit and also sees the team play as his duty – after all, both have been strongly supported by Mercedes in their careers.
“I think that’s the least we should do,” he says.
Therefore, he let Antonelli pass at last weekend’s race in the Netherlands, even though he is his biggest rival in the title fight. But he is convinced: “If the roles were reversed, the exact same thing would have happened.”
“And this week he is ready to help me in qualifying, which is also great. That’s just our current status as a team,” says Russell, who knows that he will return the favor again this year: “I will get a penalty at some point in the future. When and where, we don’t know yet.”
Hamilton with priority at Ferrari
Thus, Mercedes has a small advantage in Monza, because at the other top teams, none of the drivers can put themselves at the service of the other. At Ferrari, they will run the usual tactic and send one driver out before the other. That driver gives the other at least a little slipstream but also drives his own qualifying lap.
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“Once Lewis [Hamilton] has the priority to choose when he wants to go out, and next weekend it’s my turn. This weekend Lewis has the priority, so I assume he will choose the slipstream,” reveals Charles Leclerc.
He does not believe that a driver has to restrict himself for his teammate, “but if we can help each other – for example by trying to start the lap at the optimal distance from each other – then we will do that,” he says. “I will then try to get a slipstream from someone else, hoping to put myself in the best possible position.”
Team orders not yet an issue
For many observers, the question remains how long the team play at Mercedes can continue. If it gets even closer between the two and moves towards the finale, then one will hardly want to help the other anymore.
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According to Russell, this is not yet an issue. “I think we have to always put the team first at this point,” he says. “We have seen in the past: If you are selfish, you only harm yourself later on.”
“If it gets closer, we will probably all agree that from then on we race against each other. But for now, we handle things this way and will see what happens next.”
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