Russell given brutal verdict after Antonelli Monza defeat: 'It's embarrassing'

Kimi Antonelli's memorable achievement at his home Grand Prix in Monza last weekend is still fresh in everyone's mind, particularly that of George Russell. Despite starting from second on the grid, the Briton was unable to keep his Mercedes teammate behind, with Antonelli producing a remarkable comeback from P19 to take victory in front of his home crowd.

Although Antonelli benefited from the red flag early in the race, which allowed him to immediately close the gap to the drivers ahead, the Italian still had to work his way through the field after the restart before eventually completing his charge to victory.

Speaking on the Up to Speed podcast, Coulthard admitted he felt for Russell after seeing him beaten by his teammate despite starting from the front of the grid. The former F1 driver described the situation as embarrassing, particularly given that Antonelli came through from the back to claim victory.

While acknowledging Russell's speed and his status as a Grand Prix winner, Coulthard argued that Antonelli currently has the upper hand, leaving the Briton to deal with the disappointment of another defeat to his teammate.

In addition to being beaten by Antonelli on track, Russell was also greeted by a chorus of boos from the Monza crowd beneath the podium. Speaking to media including GPblog after the race, the Briton pointed to the different tyre strategies as one of the factors that shaped the outcome.

Russell was running on the hard compound while Antonelli was on the mediums, which meant the Italian was the Mercedes driver more likely to require another stop. The timing of the Virtual Safety Car therefore left Russell frustrated, as he felt drivers on the medium tyre would otherwise have faced a difficult task against those running the hards. Nevertheless, he made clear that the circumstances did not detract from Antonelli's drive to victory.

Russell was far less concerned by the reception he received from the Italian fans. With Antonelli competing in front of his home crowd, the Briton viewed the boos as a predictable consequence of finishing as the local favourite's main rival and simply brushed them aside.