Mercedes achieved its second double podium of the season in Las Vegas. George Russell and Kimi Antonelli – who moved up two places thanks to McLaren’s disqualification – completed the top three behind Max Verstappen. As a result, Mercedes extended its lead in the constructors’ championship, where it is still vying for second place. However, team boss Toto Wolff remains vigilant of Max Verstappen’s ‘one-man team’.
Mercedes performed exceptionally well during the Las Vegas Grand Prix; the team took home the most points. Kimi Antonelli, in particular, received praise from team boss Toto Wolff after the race. The young Italian driver moved from P17 to the podium, aided by the disqualifications of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. “I’m truly impressed with how he (Antonelli) managed his tyres and balanced his driving style to maintain speed,” Wolff told Sky Sports.
Is Red Bull a One-Man Team?
George Russell also drove a strong race. After overtaking Lando Norris, he seemed to even challenge Max Verstappen for the victory, but a technical issue thwarted his efforts, according to Wolff. Russell reported over the radio that his power steering was not functioning properly. “I think he (Russell) has the ability to adapt his driving style to this,” praised the team boss about his driver. He promised to investigate the problem further. “We also need to look at the tires; whether he pushed too hard in the first few laps by attacking Verstappen,” Wolff explained.
Wolff then turned his attention to the last two Grands Prix and the constructors’ championship. Mercedes has been in second place for some time, but Red Bull is hot on the heels of the Silberpfeile. “With Verstappen as the winner, it remains exciting until Abu Dhabi,” said Wolff. “We have lost some points to the one-man team,” he grinned. Note that at this point, he did not yet know that McLaren would be disqualified. “In Qatar and Abu Dhabi, we will have to give everything,” he concluded. Mercedes has a forty-point lead over Red Bull after the Las Vegas GP.
