Sky Sports activities System 1 pundit and former W Collection driver Naomi Schiff has warned that ongoing energy unit points at Mercedes might price Kimi Antonelli race wins and threaten his championship marketing campaign.
The Italian driver presently leads the drivers’ standings on 320 factors, along with his Mercedes team-mate George Russell sitting second on 236 factors.
Talking on the Sky Sports activities F1 Present following the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, Schiff mentioned Russell’s heartbreaking finish to the race on the Sepang Worldwide Circuit. The Briton was in rivalry for a podium end when he suffered an influence unit failure within the closing laps of the race, extending his team-mate’s lead within the standings to 84 factors.
“It isn’t nice that they are taking place. It is occurred a number of instances, not simply with George’s automotive. Kimi’s additionally had some points,” Schiff defined.
“Different Mercedes energy unit vehicles have had points. So, there’s a wider subject that I believe Toto [Wolff] might be involved about. We seen his frustration, and we are able to perceive why he is as annoyed as that.”
Schiff argued that the facility unit points might price Antonelli some victories as he fights for his maiden championship.
George Russell, Mercedes
Picture by: Liam Fabre
“However you have to scratch your head and marvel why they’re having so many reliability points throughout the board,” she continued.
“That would price Kimi some extra victories. It might simply price the workforce a whole lot of constructors’ factors the place… You concentrate on Crimson Bull this weekend, Isack Hadjar was very, very near Max Verstappen till the race got here, however the different groups and drivers are going to remove factors from Mercedes.
“So, you’ll be able to perceive why there’s frustration throughout the board. However poor George. I really feel for him. I do not need to give him a cross as a result of his job is to be faster than his team-mate. However on this 12 months the place it was meant to be his 12 months, the place Mercedes lastly have a aggressive automotive for him. I assume he dropped the ball considerably.”
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– The Motorsport.com Staff