Antonelli aims 'got pushed off' verdict at Russell after Sprint contact

On Lap 6, Antonelli attempted an overtake on his teammate at Turn 1, but Russell left him little room, resulting in contact that forced the Italian off track. Antonelli then demanded a penalty over team radio, prompting team boss Toto Wolff to instruct him to focus on his driving. The FIA stewards did not investigate the incident.

Speaking after the Sprint, the championship leader said: "It was a tough battle to be fair. We were all there in terms of pace. It was not easy. I tried to make my move but I need to review on that because I was well alongside and got pushed off. It is what it is. Then I made a mistake into Turn 8 because I took a big bump, locked up then I compromised my race from there but it was a good battle."

The Briton addressed the incident as a 'good battle' to Jolyon Palmer. He concluded: "It was a cool race, very difficult to get a gap around here. It felt quite easy to follow and the slipstream felt quite powerful with the Overtake Mode. It was a good battle with Kimi. I'm glad we are both standing here after the race." After Antonelli finished only third, he now leads the championship by 18 points ahead of Russell.

The defending world champion gained the most from the incident, as he crossed the finish line in second place. He said: "It was a good race, and good to watch [Kimi and George] go at it for a while! We were there to pick up the pieces when things happened. Mercedes were quick. Kimi caught me back up pretty quickly and I was pretty worried but it was fun on a tough track. Today was a good result for us."