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‘Difficult to recover’ for biggest loser in new F1 driver pecking order
George Russell’s career is currently suspended in a state of limbo, a reality the British driver never could have envisioned for himself.
A decade ago, Mercedes endured a ferocious internal battle between Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton.
Mercedes have already seen a major breakdown between their drivers after a championship fight. AP
The 2016 title fight wounded Rosberg to such an extent that he retired from the sport mere days after finally lifting the drivers’ championship trophy.
Now, exactly 10 years later, the Silver Arrows find themselves staring down the barrel of another formidable intra-team rivalry, this time ignited by the meteoric rise of Kimi Antonelli.
In recent days 1996 world champion Damon Hill has weighed in on Russell’s mid-season spiral and the shifting dynamic inside the Mercedes garage.
“He’s been very unlucky, but then also when he wasn’t being unlucky … when they’ve been level pegging, Kimi has always caught him up,” Hill said to Fox Sports.
“On those occasions you have to say, crikey, maybe he’s having to readjust his sights, because the possibility of being a world champion when you’re shown up by someone who is clearly faster - it’s very difficult to recover from that.
“I think he’s taken a crushing blow, quite frankly, and a huge shock to the system.”
When Hamilton made his shock departure to Ferrari, Russell was widely tipped to become the leader and number one driver of the new-look Mercedes unit.
Instead, in just his sophomore year, Antonelli has rewritten the rules of the sport, the prodigy now on the verge of making history as the sport’s youngest-ever world champion at 20 years old.
He now only needs a mere two points at the upcoming Mexico City Grand Prix to secure the crown.
“We all thought George would walk it,” Hill continued.
“Nobody expected Kimi to be quite so good so early, and he’s just been amazing. We’re all a bit taken aback by that.
“But this happens in the sport. People turn up, and they suddenly show that they’re just a lot better than everyone else.
“On current information, as far as we can tell, Kimi Antonelli is a lot better than everyone else and really phenomenal.”
Even former Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko, who left the team at the end of last year, believes there’s no coming back for Russell from that defeat to his 20-year-old teammate.
“Russell is no longer the number one driver,” Marko said.
"Antonelli has quite clearly taken that spot from him.
“I doubt whether he’ll ever have another chance at the world title or be given number one status anywhere.”
Even though Mercedes supremo Toto Wolff dismissed this idea, it felt like the final nail in the coffin for Russell’s standing arrived in Austin, where Antonelli cruised to his ninth victory of the year, with the British driver finishing eighth.
Kimi Antonelli and George Russell have fought all season. Getty Images
Even Aussie Oscar Piastri expressed confusion at Russell’s lack of pace during their battle for seventh at the United States Grand Prix.
As Antonelli ran away with victory, Piastri managed to comfortably stop his rival’s advances until the chequered flag, a development that “surprised” the McLaren driver.
“I was a bit surprised that I could keep (Russell) behind, to be honest,” Piastri told media.
“But no, I mean glad that I could, but obviously, (I) don’t think either of us really want to be battling for seventh.
“So yeah, just a tricky weekend, but at least that was a bit of a positive.”
As the season nears its endgame, the battle for the runner-up spot has intensified into a thrilling four-way fight.
Russell currently clings to second in the standings, but just nine points separate him from Charles Leclerc in fifth, with Hamilton and Max Verstappen firmly wedged in between.
With only potentially five races left - if Qatar and Abu Dhabi go ahead - Russell admitted his sole aim was to now help Mercedes win a ninth constructors’ crown.
“For me, as long as we win the constructors’, that’s the main thing,” Russell said.
"I'd like to finish as best of the rest, but P2, P3, P5 is not the champion, so it doesn't mean anything."
Formula 1 continues racing in Mexico City this weekend, with the race set for Monday at 7am.
