Antonelli laughs off Russell’s title mind games

Kimi Antonelli has brushed aside George Russell’s latest suggestion that the Formula 1 title is now his "to lose".

The 19-year-old Italian arrives in Monaco with a commanding championship lead after four consecutive victories, while teammate Russell suffered a crushing retirement from the lead in Montreal.

Before leaving Canada, Russell declared the title fight was now Antonelli’s responsibility to throw away.

And now, he repeated the claim in Monaco: "I don’t think I’ve got anything to lose," Russell said.

"If I look at it from my competitor’s position, you’re in a position now that you’ve got such a buffer, it feels like you can only keep it or you can only lose it.

"It’s his to lose."

When asked about those remarks by the Italian press, Antonelli smiled.

"Of course I heard about that," he said. "When I did, I smiled. Talking about these things so early makes no sense.

"And how can you lose something you haven’t won yet?"

Antonelli made clear he viewed the comments as an attempt to mound pressure onto his shoulders.

"George certainly wanted to put me under pressure, but I let it slide off me," he said.

"I go to the track to win every race. There will be times when I’ll have to settle, but the truth is I have nothing to lose."

"I’ll race the same way I always enjoy it, and then we’ll see where we end up."

The comments come as attention increasingly focuses on how Antonelli is handling life at the top of Formula 1 at such a young age. The Italian admitted he works with a mental coach to help navigate the growing scrutiny.

"Having someone to talk to in your private space is important," he said.

"No judgment, just a listening ear. For me, at 19, it’s sometimes difficult to deal with certain situations with people who aren’t close to me."

Antonelli believes his intense battle with Russell in Montreal helped him grow.

"In Montreal, I learned a lot about myself, about how to manage my emotions," he said. "I was much more aggressive than usual, especially in the sprint.

"It’s something I’ve worked hard on."

Describing himself as becoming "more pissed off, in the good sense of the word", Antonelli added that finding the right balance remains important.

"Now you have to try to manage your doses - you can’t overdo it."

Despite his lead, the Mercedes driver insists nothing has changed mentally.

"Of course, expectations are rising, but I won’t change my approach," he said. "I’ll get into the race car and try to achieve the best possible result. We’ll see where I stand in the autumn."

"I don’t feel under pressure, I’m quite relaxed. I know George will make life difficult for me, but I won’t let that intimidate me."

Mercedes continues to allow its drivers to race freely despite the growing championship stakes. "We’re both in a great position, we both have great cars, and we both want to win," Antonelli said.

"We don’t want to wreak havoc on the team, and we certainly don’t want to upset Toto.

"But at the same time, you can’t put a driver on a leash, especially when it comes to wins and titles. As far as George and I are concerned, we want to do things smarter after Canada."

Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali also urged caution as Antonelli’s popularity continues to soar.

"He’s an extraordinary guy because he’s still natural," Antonelli’s fellow Italian told Hoara Borselli’s podcast Sette Vite.

"He needs to be allowed to grow without putting too much pressure on him."

Domenicali praised Antonelli’s achievements while warning about the challenges that come with sudden fame and success.

"He needs time to mature, but not many have won four grands prix in a row, so it means he’s strong," he said.

"I like these young people, who are as they should be at their age, so a little naive, but someone will have to help them understand that our world isn’t just made up of people who smile at you because they’re genuinely happy with what you do.

"You need to build up some armour."