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Russell perplexed by struggles having arrived in Monaco playing mind gamesImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, George Russell won the season-opening race in Australia but has been beaten by Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli in every grand prix sinceByAndrew Benson
George Russell arrived in Monaco with the intention of playing a few mind games with Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli in an attempt to get his championship back on track.
Russell claimed that the title was now Antonelli’s “to lose” after the 19-year-old Italian had extended his advantage in their private fight to 43 points following the Canadian Grand Prix, where the Briton retired from the lead.
By the end of qualifying, though, Russell admitted it was he who was “scratching my head” as he faced the reality that he was sixth on the grid, and Antonelli on pole – with 0.394 seconds between them.
Afterwards, Russell reported that he was “a bit bamboozled”.
And for the first time this season he acknowledged what has been becoming increasingly clear in recent races – that he was struggling compared with Antonelli. He reported: “I don’t really know what’s going on.”
Russell pointed out that in the first two races of the season in Australia and China “every lap I did was good” but that “now nothing’s clicking”.
The 28-year-old was on pole at the last race in Canada but reported: “The last three races have just been nowhere. Even Canada, I was nowhere until the last lap of Q3 of both sessions. So, I don’t have an answer for that.”
He added: “Until I can make some adjustments, it’s going to continue like this.”
Russell reported he believed the problem lay in their respective driving styles, and its impact on whether the tyres were at their ideal temperature for a qualifying lap.
“There’s clearly a difference in driving style between the two of us, which has been there last year as well, but played into my hands very well last year,” Russell reported.
“And it clearly is playing into his hands perfectly well this year, but it still doesn’t answer why I was so good at the start of the year and so poor now. So, we need to look at why that is. It’s clear in the data.
“The difference is how we’re driving has such an impact on the tyres. He’s just getting the tyres in a nicer window than me, a nicer balance over the course of a lap, and the pace is just coming easier for him. I don’t know why that is.
“I’ve been driving in this manner my whole career, and now, for whatever reason, it’s not working with this car.
“Last year’s car, Kimi was trying to drive in my way, and it was also not working for him.
“It’s no excuse, it’s just a reality, and I need to either work with the team to adjust my driving to compensate these new tyres, these new cars, or I need to find a different set-up that works for me.”
The result of qualifying was especially dispiriting for Russell, who was on pole at the last race in Canada, for two different reasons.
Monaco has a special status as a track where driving talent can make the difference, and he needs to make up ground in the championship.
Starting sixth, on a track where passing is expected to be next to impossible even in the context of the increased amount of overtaking with the new cars introduced this year, means his chances of moving up the field are remote.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff told Sky Sports: “George is very robust and resilient. There were a few races that went against him, just because luck wasn’t on his side or he wasn’t there at the right moment. Here, I don’t think it’s so much a psychological side, he just never had the confidence in the car.
“Qualifying started on a bad foot. Once you start to run behind the performance and you lose the confidence, it’s super-difficult to catch up again and I think it would have been one session more and he would have been there or thereabouts but he didn’t have any grip.”
As for Antonelli’s performance, and a new high for the Italian, Wolff reported: “He just has the good momentum behind him. He’s so young, there’s this easiness that he still has. When you have such a positivity then these things can happen.”
Image source, Getty ImagesKimi Antonelli will be on pole for Monaco with Max Verstappen starting second and Lewis Hamilton third
Antonelli pipped Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by 0.043 seconds in a qualifying session that kept spectators and viewers on their edge of their seats until the very end.
Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton was third on the grid, and all three emphasised the importance of the start in terms of deciding the race.
Antonelli has lost places off the start line in every single grand prix this year – and Ferrari’s starts are notoriously good.
Antonelli reported: “In Montreal for the first first time I didn’t lose six or seven places, lost one place.
“It’s a pretty short run, just need to get a clean start, just try to not do a magic start.”
Verstappen was asked whether he had any advice for Antonelli, who is in only his second season in Formula 1.
The Dutchman joked: “When the lights go out, wait one second. That’s my advice.”
Hamilton added: “It’s very difficult. I don’t think there’s overtaking. I hope that we can get a really good start and maybe apply some pressure to the two.
“It’s going to be very hard to beat these two. You’ve got two great drivers who are in quick cars and have been very quick all weekend.
“So, it’s a shame this race is generally often such a procession, in the sense that we’re just often following each other, and the car is always overheating, brakes always overheating, just with the way the track is.
“And obviously we only have really one stop because the tyres are so hard and often go so far.
“I’m going to still give it absolutely everything and try and hassle them as much as I can and try and force them into not making certain corners.”
Monaco Grand Prix
14:00 BST on Sunday
Live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live; live text updates on BBC Sport website and app
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