Russell jokes about a way to derail Antonelli’s title bid

“I could take you drinking,” George Russell told Kimi Antonelli. The Mercedes driver continued in the same joking vein: “Actually, this could be a good way to beat you in the championship, to get you arrested on Sunday night.” The quip, in a clip widely shared on social media, played on the possibility of Antonelli claiming the Formula 1 title at the United States Grand Prix.

Antonelli heads into the race with a 102-point advantage over Russell, who is second in the standings. The Italian therefore has a chance to win his first F1 championship. To secure the title at this Grand Prix, he would need to win, while Russell would have to finish outside the top eight and Lewis Hamilton outside the top four.

Russell’s joke came with the championship theoretically within reach, but only if demanding results fall into place. Team deputy principal Bradley Lord described the chances as “very minimal”. “It’s theoretically possible, but in practical terms, this isn’t the match-point weekend,” he said. He added that the team would focus on scoring as many points as possible.

Russell also spoke about Mercedes’ recent difficulties, as attention centred on the prospect of an Antonelli title. “It’s nothing to do with me really, so, as a team, it’s been an interesting couple of races,” he said. Reflecting on the major upgrade introduced in Malaysia, he acknowledged: “It didn’t perform quite as we hoped.”

The Briton said the back-to-back testing in Singapore had provided useful information. Mercedes remains confident that the upgrade is the right direction, but still needs to fine-tune the set-up to get the most from it. Russell also pointed to Red Bull’s strong current form, McLaren’s strength in other races and Ferrari’s upgrades as reasons Mercedes needs to regain its form.

Russell’s light-hearted remarks drew amused responses on Reddit. One user praised his attitude, while another wrote: “It’s a joke, unless…” A further comment welcomed his good-natured approach. The humour sits alongside a serious sporting possibility: Antonelli can clinch the title at the United States Grand Prix, but only if several results go his way.