Russell told to shelve ‘Mr Nice Guy’ persona and take the fight to Antonelli

The Brit, widely tipped as the pre-season favourite for the title, lost the championship lead in Suzuka after the Italian secured back-to-back wins, sending a clear message in the title fight.

Speaking on the Up to Speed Podcast, the former F1 driver believes Russell must now stop playing the nice guy and take the necessary countermeasures if he wants to win the championship.

“If I were George Russell, this is now a war zone,” he said. “No more Mr Nice Guy. We said it after Kimi got his first victory. There was a really good interview that I saw online with Toto and George, where they were sort of debriefing in real time.

Russell and Antonelli are set to join the growing list of F1 drivers taking advantage of the unexpected April gap, but unlike Verstappen and Stroll - who headed to the Nordschleife - the Mercedes duo will run on the Nürburgring’s Grand Prix circuit.

The test is scheduled for later this month, during the week that was originally reserved for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Both that race and the Bahrain round were called off due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, leaving teams with a rare break in the calendar before the season resumes in Miami.

As a result, several drivers - including Norris and Piastri - have seized the opportunity to get extra mileage under their belts, with Russell and Antonelli now following suit. However, fans hoping to catch a glimpse trackside will be disappointed, as the test will take place behind closed doors and won’t be open to the public.