For Russell, this can’t be a straightforward second in his profession. A Mercedes protege himself, he has waited eight years for this second – the very best automobile, with Mercedes.
Final yr, he was comfortably the higher driver of the 2; solely hardly ever did Antonelli get the higher of him. So he earned his standing as pre-season championship favorite.
The Briton, 28, lived as much as that when he received the primary race of the season in Australia from pole place, however since then issues have gone in opposition to him.
A technical downside virtually definitely robbed him of pole in China and handed it to Antonelli, who transformed it right into a maiden win. A security automobile intervened handy the victory in Japan to Antonelli, when with out it probably both McLaren’s Oscar Piastri or Russell would have received.
However there was little question in regards to the Miami win. Antonelli put it on pole. Russell was fifth on the grid, behind upgraded vehicles from the Purple Bull, McLaren and Ferrari groups.
Antonelli made a sixth unhealthy begin in a row and misplaced floor. However he stayed calm, fought again, and grabbed the win from McLaren’s Lando Norris over the pit cease interval.
Norris initially thought that was all about McLaren making a mistake by letting Mercedes pit first, not eager to go too early with rain threatening.
However McLaren staff principal Andrea Stella mentioned the staff nonetheless had the margin to remain forward of Antonelli after they did cease three laps after him, however {that a} sequence of occasions conspired in opposition to them.
First, there was the time gained by what Stella referred to as a “big” first lap out of the pits by Antonelli after his cease. That risked overheating his tyres, which he must cope with later, however ensured he was nonetheless inside hanging vary of the McLaren.
Then Norris made a few errors on his in-lap and had a gradual cease. Mix all that, and it was sufficient to place Antonelli proper on Norris’ tail when the McLaren got here out of the pits. The Mercedes rapidly swept previous, and Antonelli held Norris off for the remainder of the race.
Russell is preserving issues in perspective, recognising there are nonetheless 18 races to go, and lots can occur.
“Clearly he is in an excellent place in the intervening time and momentum is with him,” Russell mentioned. “However, having bought sufficient expertise myself in championships I’ve received and the way momentum swings all year long, and looking out on the championship final yr, to be trustworthy, I am not even contemplating it.
“It is simply that I wish to get again on to the highest step of the rostrum. The primary three races, I had the efficiency to do this, however this weekend I completely didn’t have the efficiency to do this.
“So, I could possibly be standing right here now with three very totally different leads to earlier races, with this one being a little bit of a one-off, however clearly issues labored out otherwise in Japan and China, however that is Components 1 typically.”
Russell admitted that the “tempo was actually, actually poor on my facet”, and that he has by no means gelled with the Miami circuit and its low-grip floor and gradual corners.
However Hill mentioned: “You’ll be able to’t have that, you possibly can’t have a monitor that you do not gel with. You have to be good throughout all the things. George now has to regroup, has to have a look at the place he’s at and what the brand new paradigm is.”
