Kimi Antonelli and George Russell both say the same thing about their Canadian Grand Prix battle

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Kimi Antonelli expressed his sympathy for George Russell immediately after winning the Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday.

Russell retired from the race with a power unit failure on lap 30 after a thrilling, back-and-forth battle with his Mercedes teammate. The British driver had started on pole but fell to third at the start.

The fast-starting Lando Norris swiftly had to pit for slick tyres, paving the way for another intense scrap between the title-race protagonists. The two drivers came close to colliding multiple times, but avoided what would have been a disastrous collision.

Kimi Antonelli wishes George Russell battle would have continued

Antonelli was able to streak clear after inheriting the lead, eventually finishing nearly 11 seconds clear of runner-up Lewis Hamilton as he bagged his fourth consecutive victory.

Speaking in parc ferme, he acknowledged that the battle was ‘on the limit’. Mercedes warned both drivers that they were being overly aggressive.

Still, the Italian wishes that the battle could have continued, even if he now leads the world championship by 42 points, putting him in complete command of the title race.

Were Mercedes right to intervene in the George Russell vs Kimi Antonelli battle?

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Antonelli had expressed his anger over the radio after a run-in during the Sprint race, when he was forced to take the grass at turn two.

“It was a really fun battle with George,” he said. “We were pretty much on the limit. It was very close. It was a shame for him to have the failure, because it would have been a very cool battle.”

George Russell says Kimi Antonelli battle ‘felt like karting days’

Speaking to Sky Sports after he returned to the paddock, Russell expressed similar sentiments. In his eyes, both drivers respected their team’s rules.

“I thought it was great,” he said. “I loved it. I really enjoyed it, it felt like karting days. We didn’t make any contact, it was close, I loved it.

“That’s what racing is about – I just would’ve liked to have continued it for 30 more laps.”

Russell was looking to strike back in Montreal after Antonelli’s hat-trick and came out on top in both Sprint sessions, as well as Grand Prix qualifying.

However, Antonelli appeared to have more pace during their error-strewn battle on Sunday, a worrying sign given Russell’s historic strength on this circuit.

Russell was visibly distraught after stopping on track, throwing his headrest and his gloves in anguish.