After the recent Dutch Grand Prix, former Formula 1 driver and analyst Jolyon Palmer has emphasized that George Russell is still not at his best level within the Mercedes team. Palmer states that, although Russell has achieved third place on the podium, his comparison with his teammate, Kimi Antonelli, is revealing and concerning.
Mercedes celebrated a double podium in Zandvoort, with a second and third position behind Lando Norris of McLaren. However, the team order that requested Russell to give up his position to Antonelli raised much discussion among fans and experts, especially since Russell showed reluctance to accept the decision during the radio communication with the team.
Palmer, analyzing the situation, said that even though Russell had a more positive weekend, he still does not show the necessary speed to compete at the highest level. He only managed to score points, and his difficulty in the starts has been a key factor in his performance, allowing drivers like Antonelli to surpass him.
In this line, Palmer highlighted that, while Antonelli has shown consistent performance, the pressure on Russell will continue to mount. Russell currently occupies the second position in the drivers’ standings, tied with Lewis Hamilton with 183 points, but far behind Antonelli, who leads the championship with 242 points.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
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