Kimi Antonelli is ready to help Mercedes team-mate and title rival George Russell in qualifying at the Italian Grand Prix for a race the world championship leader will start at the back of the grid due to an engine penalty.
Italy’s own Antonelli arrives at his home track of Monza knowing that his healthy points advantage is almost certain to be eaten into this weekend owing to the fact Mercedes are triggering a back-of-the-grid start for him by exceeding power-unit component limits on his car, a legacy of reliability issues from earlier in the season.
Russell and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton both trail Antonelli by 59 points while McLaren’s Lando Norris, the winner of the last two races, is 83 points behind.
Given he already knows he will start at the back of the grid whatever result he achieves on Saturday, Antonelli is open to aiding Russell’s qualifying session and bid for pole position by providing slipstream assistance to the sister Mercedes around F1’s fastest track to provide a straight-line speed and lap-time boost.
“It has been discussed with the team,” said Antonelli when asked about the tow in Thursday’s Drivers’ Press Conference.
“And, yes, we have agreed on a few things.
“So let’s see, you know, how the session develops. But if the team will ask me to do so, I will do it. Because, yeah, obviously, I’m not fighting for… You know, of course, I will still be happy to do pole [by setting the fastest Q3 time], but, of course, I’m starting at the back.
“So, if I could do anything to help the team, I will do it.”
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Russell said the fact Antonelli was willing to help him out reflected well on Mercedes’ culture.
The Briton is expected to take his own grid penalty for excessive engine usage at a later race, potentially at a similarly-overtaking-friendly Baku City Circuit in three weeks’ time.
Russell said: “I think it just goes to show the level of teamwork we have at the moment between the two of us and how Toto [Wolff] wants to operate this team.
“I think that is a very good and unique opportunity for us, especially considering where we’ve both come from, being part of the [junior] programme from the very beginning. I think it’s the least we should be doing.
“Last week [at Zandvoort] it worked well and if the roles were reversed, the same would have happened.
“This week he’s willing to help me out in qualifying, which is great as well. That’s just the way we are as a team.
“I will be taking a penalty at some point in the future. When and where I don’t know.”
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But while Antonelli’s penalty offers him a big chance to make up potentially significant title ground this weekend after falling 59 points behind at the Dutch Grand Prix, Russell stressed: “For me it doesn’t change anything because I always want to focus on myself.
“Focus on my limitations and the areas I want to improve.
“I always said, it doesn’t matter if I have a seven-time world champion as my team-mate, a rookie, or nobody, the job is still the same.
“So my approach will be exactly the same here this weekend.”
‘They are the team to beat right now’ – Russell talks up McLaren but hopeful for Monza
While they continue to lead both world championship races, Mercedes’ early-season dominance has been eroded in recent months with first Ferrari and now McLaren coming to the fore.
Russell is optimistic the high-speed Monza layout will be more favourable to their W17 than either of the last two races, which were won by McLaren, but expects all three of their chief rivals to remain big threats.
“As a team, we’ve won two races in the last six so we can say all we want but we’ll soon find out,” he said.
“I think there will be a lot of tough competition.
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“The momentum is with McLaren right now. Ferrari have upgrades this weekend. We know Red Bull have a very strong power unit. I honestly think this weekend it can be between any of the top four teams – but I hope it’s us.”
Russell, whose last Grand Prix win came in Austria at the end of June, added: “When you look at the past couple of races and how competitive Lando and McLaren have been, it’s definitely very fair to say that they are the team to beat right now.
“We know we’re an upgrade behind most and we hope we can go back to being the team to beat in a couple of races’ time. But, for now, the fight [is] between McLaren and Ferrari, who have got the upgrades this weekend.
“I actually think we came away from Zandvoort having a very positive weekend as a team. I think a P2 and a P3 and a Sprint win was actually probably better than a true car performance.”
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And on Mercedes’ chances of claiming a first Monza win since 2018, Russell said: “I don’t know if we can say we’re favourites this weekend but we definitely probably have a greater opportunity than we’ve had in the last two races where it’s been less about the power unit and more about the chassis.
“As I said, I think we definitely have or had the best chassis and I think we will do again in the upcoming races.
“We can’t forget Red Bull have a very strong power unit as well, we know this circuit is going to suit them more than the others. Ferrari with the upgrades. So I think it can be a four-team race this weekend.”
Sky Sports F1’s Italian GP live schedule
Friday September 4
7.30am: F3 Practice
8.55am: F2 Practice
11am: Italian Grand Prix Practice One (session starts at 11.30pm)*
12.55pm: F3 Qualifying
1.50pm: F2 Qualifying
2.35pm: Italian Grand Prix Practice Two (session starts at 3pm)
4.15pm: The F1 Show
5.20pm: Team Bosses’ Press Conference
Saturday September 5
8.25am: F3 Sprint
11.15am: Italian Grand Prix Practice Three (session starts at 11:30am)
1.10pm: F2 Sprint
2.15pm: Italian Grand Prix Qualifying build-up
3pm: ITALIAN GRAND PRIX QUALIFYING*
5pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook
Sunday September 6
7.10am: F3 Feature Race
8.40am: F2 Feature Race
10.40am: Porsche Supercup Race
12.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Italian GP build-up
2pm: THE ITALIAN GRAND PRIX
4pm: Chequered Flag: Italian GP reaction
5pm: Ted’s Notebook
*also on Sky Sports Main Event
Formula 1 is at Monza for Ferrari’s home race at the Italian Grand Prix this weekend, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime