MONTREAL (AP) — George Russell clashed early with Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli in the Canadian Grand Prix sprint race Saturday, sending the teen star into the grass in an entertaining victory from the pole.
Russell — who later took the pole for his Grand Prix title defense Sunday at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve — fended off a pair of attacks from Antonelli on the sixth of 23 laps as the drivers made contact in Turn 1, forcing the 19-year-old Italian into the grass.
“That was very naughty,” a furious Antonelli said in one of several complaints as emotions boiled over on the team radio.
Antonelli — the winner of the last three Grand Prix races — accused Russell of pushing him off before demanding a penalty.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff told Antonelli to “concentrate on the driving, please, not on the radio moaning.”
“I need to recheck. Emotions were very high in the moment, and obviously I was very annoyed,” Antonelli said in an ensuing press conference, moments after a frosty finish-line handshake with Russell.
“We just need a bit of clarity and then once it’s clear, then it’s all going to be fine. The main thing for the team is that there’s no contact, that we don’t pressure each other, which today at the end was very close.”
From Russell’s point of view, he’d done nothing wrong, chalking up the fireworks simply to hard racing.
“I wasn’t investigated, so I guess the race directors and stewards thought the same,” said the 28-year-old English driver, sitting next to Antonelli. “As kids in karting, we know that overtaking on the outside, there’s a certain element of risk that comes with that. They’re amazing overtakes when they come off, but the chances are quite slim.
“There was only one direction I was going and I was going close the line because that’s my right to do so. Respect to him for giving it a go. Emotions are always high for all of us in the cockpit, but I’m sure we’ll both talk about it after.”
Antonelli rolled off course again on a second attempt a few corners later, losing his place to McLaren’s Lando Norris in the process.
Norris, the reigning F1 world champion, challenged Russell the rest of the race and held on to second as Antonelli veered off track a third time in an overtake attempt on the last lap.
Antonelli finished third, as Russell cut his championship lead to 18 points. Russell also won a sprint race in China this season.
“It is clear that between teammates we race hard and fair and no contact, and that’s always the objective,” Russell said. “I wasn’t racing Kimi any harder than I would have raced Lando in the same position. We’re both here fighting to win, and as always in the past, even last year when we battled, I always gave Kimi a bit more room compared to anyone else. It wasn’t even investigated, so I think that says enough.”
F1 introduced sprints in 2021. The shortened races cover roughly 60 miles (100 kilometers), about one-third the distance of a Grand Prix, for a maximum of eight points. A Grand Prix victory is worth 25 points.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri placed fourth, followed by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.
In qualifying for the Grand Prix race, Russell charged to the pole position for the third consecutive year in Canada, with Antonelli taking the second spot on the grid.
Russell, had a lap of 1 minute, 12.578 seconds on his final lap to edge Antonelli by 0.068 seconds — the exact gap between the two drivers in sprint qualifying. Norris was third,
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