Kimi Antonelli has conceded it was a “shame” that George Russell suffered “a failure” with his Mercedes, robbing Formula 1 of an extension of their captivating Canadian Grand Prix battle.
For 30 laps at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Antonelli and Russell engaged in a wheel-to-wheel battle, with the lead changing hands on several occasions before the British driver’s W17 suffered a power unit failure, which forced him to pull over and retire.
That allowed Antonelli to coast to his fourth consecutive victory and open up a 43-point lead at the top of the drivers’ standings.
“It was a fun battle with George,” said Antonelli. “We were very much on the limit, and it was not easy with the wind. Very gusty. Turn 10 was very difficult.
“It was very close, and it was a shame for him with the failure, as it would have been a very cool battle. But we will take it. Another win.”
Antonelli’s only issue to the chequered flag was managing front-left graining, which he managed to contain to such an extent that he set the fastest lap on the final tour.
As to how he maintains his momentum going into the next race in Monaco in a fortnight, the 19-year-old said: “We have to keep raising the bar.
“George was extremely quick this weekend. We were neck and neck, and Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren are definitely coming back, so we have to keep pushing and be ready for anything.”
