Key events28m agoPreambleGiles Richards reported on Friday that George Russell is not fooled by his closing the gap at the top, as it has been based on Kimi Antonelli’s problems rather than him finding things easier:
double quotation mark“I know exactly what I need to do,” he said. “But going out and then achieving it when I’ve driven for 20 years in a certain way – and even more so, it’s been working for 20 years … Now suddenly it’s working 50% of the time but 50% of the other time it’s not working. Trying to recognise, is it going to work this weekend my normal way? Or do I need to adapt my approach?
“When I’ve performed at my very best I’ve just been performing subconsciously, not even been thinking about driving and now you’re having to think, trying to make these new techniques become subconscious techniques. That is the challenge.”
Coming eighth in FP1 indicates the continuing difficulties.Focus, George. Focus. Photograph: Geert Vanden Wijngaert/APAnd here’s FP2, with Russell still in eighth but Antonelli leaping up from sixth to first:1 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:45.9442 Lando Norris McLaren +0.190s3 Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.472s4 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.747s5 Isack Hadjar Red Bull +0.770s6 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.982s7 Franco Colapinto Alpine +1.203s8 George Russell Mercedes +1.285s9 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls +1.350s10 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls +1.490s11 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +1.524s
