Former Formula 1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya has claimed that while George Russell is "trying to overanalyse everything" behind the wheel, his team-mate and current championship leader Kimi Antonelli is allowing his driving to unfold naturally.
As the drivers arrive in Madrid for the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix at the Madring circuit, Montoya discussed the performance of the Mercedes duo.
The Brackley outfit celebrated a 1-2 finish at last week's Italian Grand Prix, with Antonelli claiming the victory in front of his home crowd after starting 19th on the grid.
"He needs to learn and understand why it works so well for Kimi," Montoya said of Russell during the F1 TV Weekend Warm-Up show.
"The medium tyres were a little better than people expected on speed, especially as they got older. Actually, the speed stayed, there was really no degradation on those tyres. I think George is trying to overanalyse everything with the driving. He wants to do everything so right.
"And Kimi is letting it happen more naturally. Kimi is just going for it, and things are working out. It's like whatever he's doing is working, and it's really hard to beat Kimi because he doesn't seem to get it wrong. His wrongs end up being right."
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, George Russell, Mercedes
Photo by: Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images
The Colombian driver added: "He goes through the gravel and he gases it and the car keeps going. He just can't get it wrong. And when you have that, it's really hard to beat.
"George needs to understand the way he's managing the tyres, maybe he needs to be a little more aggressive and just keep trying. He's got the guy there. He's got the information. And I think it's a good lesson for George to get himself to a better level. The speed is not the question. It's how the execution is happening."
Heading into the Spanish Grand Prix, Antonelli holds a 66-point advantage over Russell in the standings.
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Originally published by motorsport.com —
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