George Russell statement after Belgian GP gives Toto Wolff no choice but to favour Kimi Antonelli

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George Russell was incredibly frustrated right after his crash on Lap 1 at the Belgian Grand Prix, but his statements show why Mercedes cannot prioritise him anymore.

Russell made contact with Lewis Hamilton on the opening lap at Spa, which forced him into the gravel. Unfortunately, the damage his Mercedes sustained forced him out of the race almost instantly.

It was a race of two halves for Mercedes, as Kimi Antonelli managed to win the Belgian Grand Prix, furthering his gap in the championship standings over Russell.

Kimi Antonelli wins the Belgian Grand Prix! What was your main takeaway from the race? 🏁

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Russell has been complaining about Mercedes favouring Antonelli for a few weeks now, as he has struggled against his younger teammate.

But given what George Russell said immediately after his crash, Toto Wolff and Mercedes have all reason to back Kimi Antonelli instead.

READ MORE: Karun Chandhok fears Belgian GP just exposed worrying ‘trend’ with Oscar Piastri and George Russell

George Russell’s post-crash remarks shows Toto Wolff faces trouble in paradise

Speaking right after his crash during the Belgian Grand Prix, George Russell was asked about his initial reaction to the crash with Lewis Hamilton.

Russell didn’t shift any blame towards Hamilton for the incident. Rather, he suggested that Mercedes not providing him the speed his car needs compared to Antonelli led to the incident.

“Well, I just got totally swallowed up down the straight. I lost three positions down the straight, down into turn 5. The incident was a racing incident.

“Maybe I could have gone a bit wider, maybe he could have braked a bit more. The incident shouldn’t have happened if I had speed down the straight.

“Very disappointed. Nothing to say. There aren’t words at the moment… I appreciate everyone is working hard to solve the problem, but I’m stood here on Lap 5, and it felt like I was in a good position to fight for the lead in the first lap…”

READ MORE: Mercedes can see ‘nothing in the data’ to back up George Russell’s excuse for Kimi Antonelli deficit

George Russell has not shown any level of confidence against Kimi Antonelli this season

Russell has consistently lacked confidence against Antonelli this season, not being able to deliver when the two have gone head-to-head in crucial moments this season.

For whatever reason, the young Italian has just gotten the better of Russell, consistently outperforming him and taking the lead in the championship race.

And given that Russell has now gone in the direction of criticising the team while not delivering the results needed to warrant these comments, Wolff is likely to favour Antonelli going forward.

Mercedes prioritising Antonelli has now not just become the most prudent option, but also the preferred option given how Russell has been crumbling and now attacking the team.