Juuso Taipale
George Russell was guaranteed to have a sour taste in his mouth from the incredible twists and turns of the Monaco GP, writes Iltalehti’s F1 editor Juuso Taipale.
George Russell’s Monaco GP was a disaster. EPA / AOP
Thank you very much.
That’s what George Russell might have thought in round 61 of the Monaco GP.
An enthusiastic mechanic from the Mercedes garage decided to change the front tire of Russell’s car, which had crashed in the pit box, as soon as the car had stopped.
A good thing under normal conditions. But now would have been an exceptional situation.
The purpose would have been to wait five seconds before the sudden whistling of the nut gun, so that the time penalty previously received by Russell would have been offset by it.
The mistake was very expensive. If it goes badly, it could cost Russell this season’s world championship.
If that’s the case, there’s no need for the mechanic to expect a Christmas card from Russell at the end of a long season.
The whole thing was absurd.
Russell was one of five (!) drivers who received a time penalty for speeding.
The penalty was light, although it is very likely that none of them were even speeding.
In the F1 pit, the speed is not controlled by speed radar, but by sensors. There is a time limit X for each sensor interval, which if exceeded indicates overspeeding.
However, the drivers who received a penalty in Monaco complained to the censors about their special lane choice. A different driving line when leaving the pit shortened the route, i.e. the sensor gap slipped faster than calculated. Consequence = punishment.
Old-timers remember that Sebastian Vettel was penalized for the same reason in Singapore 2009. Throwing this button information from memory entitles you to the F1 wizard award.
If Russell had served his punishment during his second pit stop, there would almost certainly have been fourth place on the plaque. Probably even third, as the restart showed.
12–15 World Cup points from Monaco would have been a big win in the World Cup battle against teammate Kimi Antonelli. The Italian, who took his fifth consecutive victory, now increased his lead to 66 points.
Kimi Antonelli is Toto Wolff’s new favorite child. PDO
The season is long, there are still 15 races and sprints to go. But gradually Russell would have to reverse course.
Everyone expected Mersu to dominate this season, after the winter tests had been completed. But in the books of many of the team’s drivers, Russell, who has driven Mersu since 2022, was the champion favorite, not Antonelli.
However, only 19 years old, the Italian prodigy has redeemed his huge potential in a deafening way. Toto Wolff’s nose smelled right. It’s about talent that comes once in a generation.
I don’t think for a second that Russell won’t still be able to pick up wins this season. Equally, I believe that Antonelli will also fail or experience bad luck during the season.
But if, after the season-ending race in Abu Dhabi in December, Antonelli celebrates the championship with a margin of less than 10 points over Russell, the events of the first Sunday in June will be remembered by everyone.
Guaranteed to include the mechanic who decided to prematurely attach a bolt gun to Russell’s car.
Kimi Antonelli can do everything at the moment. PDO