Photo: Race Pictures

Mercedes hail 'championship part' played by this driver after Russell's illness

10:57, 25 Sep

byOlly Darcy

Mercedes technical director James Allison said that Kimi Antonelli "played a championship part" as the German team moved into P2 in the constructors' standings.

Kimi Antonelli made a fine return to form by finishing P4 in Baku | Photo: RacePictures.

That focus and attention on those free practice sessions is crucial for arriving in qualifying in good shape.

- James Allison on Kimi Antonelli's performance in Baku

At the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the teenager capped off a consistent weekend by finishing P4, backing up an ill George Russell in P2 to see Mercedes move back above Ferrari in the team title battle.

It was a much needed weekend for the Italian around the Baku City Circuit, making a return to the front of the grid after a tought middle part of the season.

"Kimi certainly played a champion part in making sure that he really didn’t put a foot wrong," Allison explained in Mercedes' 'Race Debrief'.

"I think the approach from all of us, really, just to make consistent sessions the order of the day, understanding with Kimi, and that focus and attention on those free practice sessions is crucial for arriving in qualifying in good shape.

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"That is also crucial for making the race work out for you, and any slip-ups in free practice are much more costly than they appear, so the concentration on that needs to be collectively high from all of us.

"I think Kimi went up an escape road once during the weekend, but absolutely not a scratch on his car. In qualifying, which was pretty difficult, you saw how many red flags there were in qualifying, Kimi came through that in good nick and did a good lap. He was within one gusty corner away from being P2 on the grid and had a good weekend as a consequence."

Antonelli turns a corner to boost Mercedes

Thanks to the P2 and P4 that Russell and Antoenlli collected in Baku, they moved themselves back up to P2 in the constructors' standings, going four points clear of Ferrari as Lewis Hamilton could only finish in P8 and P9, respectively.

Antonelli's P4 was a result that will buoy the 19-year-old greatly after he could only amass three points across the last six Grands Prix before Baku.

With six more races to go, the fight or P2 between Mercedes, Ferrari, and now Red Bull too, continues to go down to the wire, with just 18 points separating all three team.

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