Damon Hill thought one Kimi Antonelli radio message during Monaco GP was ‘so impressive’

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Damon Hill couldn’t help but admire the mentality Kimi Antonelli showed during the Monaco Grand Prix.

Antonelli won the Monaco Grand Prix in dominant fashion, as he made it five straight Grand Prix wins in a row this season.

It was a brilliant performance from the young Italian driver, who continues to pick up massive points this season as the championship leader.

Is Kimi Antonelli about to run away with the championship, or will it be close?

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One of the things that stood out during the race was just how much Kimi Antonelli was pushing to deliver the fastest performance possible.

But it was one radio message from the Mercedes driver that caught the eye of Damon Hill, who was very impressed with the young driver.

READ MORE: Former Ferrari boss reveals the real reason they rejected Kimi Antonelli aged 11

Kimi Antonelli telling Mercedes he didn’t need to pit impressed Damon Hill

Speaking on BBC Radio’s coverage of the Monaco Grand Prix, Damon Hill reacted to Kimi Antonelli telling Mercedes there was no reason for him to pit without a safety flag.

Hill praised Antonelli’s assertiveness and how well he was reading his performance while not panicking in such an intense situation.

“I think that’s so impressive when he’s out there leading, and he’s getting an instruction. He’s actually telling them, ‘We don’t need to stop!’

“He’s happy where he is, and he knows what he’s doing, thinks he’s got it under control. He’s actually quite right to express his view. It’s just so impressive, everything he’s been doing this weekend.”

While Hill appreciated this steadiness, Peter Bonnington did tell Antonelli to relax when he was pushing the limit and setting the fastest lap time with each passing lap.

But there is something to the confidence Antonelli showed on the radio, especially when compared to his teammate, George Russell.

READ MORE: Toto Wolff disagrees with Martin Brundle comparing Kimi Antonelli to Ayrton Senna

George Russell’s frustration over the radio highlights key difference between him and Kimi Antonelli

Below are a few excerpts from Russell’s radio communication with his race engineer, Marcus Dudley, where he was heard asking several questions and being overly reliant on him for his strategy approach.

“We have to get into the pit lane. Get tyres. Get the tyres ready to swap. What am I doing?… Was I meant to be boxing then? Switching tyres or not? Have I served my penalty or not?”

“If we’re going to do the pit lane, considering I’ve got the gap to do the stop-and-go for the five-second… Just ask Kimi to keep the pace up on the delta. I’ve got the gap behind me.”

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to rely on your race engineer to drive the strategy. But Russell consistently asking what is happening and relying on Dudley to adjust his approach is in stark contrast to Antonelli and how he approached the race.

While Antonelli is assured and confident and gives the team his input about what they should do, the Briton relies heavily on his engineers to try and employ the best strategy possible.

Perhaps this gulf in confidence is reflective of the gap between the two. No amount of mind games from Russell have worked on Antonelli, as the youngster has completely outperformed the veteran.

And with Russell’s Mercedes future in doubt due to his slump, the driver is clearly under a lot of pressure. Regardless, it is time Russell goes back to basics to try and bounce back.