(Motorsport-Total.com) – After the heated duel between George Russell and Kimi Antonelli in the sprint in Canada, the two Mercedes drivers have talked it over. Both confirmed this after the session on Saturday.
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“We talked about it and cleared it up,” said Antonelli. “Now everything is fine. We analyzed it and talked to Toto about it. Now everything is fine.”
Russell emphasizes in turn: “As Kimi already said, everything is fine. We had a good conversation and now know what we have to do and how we will deal with each other on the track.”
“That will not change. Because we have always had respect for each other. We will not wave each other past. It doesn’t matter whether it’s an opponent or a teammate.”
In the sprint, Antonelli slightly collided with his teammate in the first corner. Accordingly, the 19-year-old complained that Russell had left him too little space. Team principal Toto Wolff tried to stop such comments over the radio as quickly as possible.
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“If the roles were reversed, I probably would have reacted the same way,” Russell summarizes. “If something doesn’t work immediately and you get the feeling that you are being treated unfairly, then you think the other person is to blame. That is completely normal. We are racers, we are fighters, and we wear our hearts on our sleeves.”
“We are simply in a difficult position. Everything we think and feel is broadcast worldwide immediately. We regret nothing of what we say. Of course, you might wish you had said something else, but we are here to fight.”
This very fight is taking place between Russell and Antonelli around the Formula 1 World Championship. Before the Canadian Grand Prix, Antonelli is at the top of the championship, closely followed by his experienced teammate.
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