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After seeing George Russell and Kimi Antonelli’s title rivalry intensify, Lando Norris can relate to what Max Verstappen experienced last year.
Russell’s Canadian Sprint win came with some controversy, as a lot of the talk was about his exchange with Antonelli during the race.
Things got so heated that Toto Wolff furiously told off Antonelli over the radio for airing out the team’s internal communication on a worldwide broadcast.
Will Kimi Antonelli return with a vengeance in the Canadian Grand Prix?
This exchange between the two Mercedes drivers has added more spice to their brewing title rivalry. But one man who will be enjoying seeing their collapse is Lando Norris.
After using their battle to split the sprint podium, Norris believes he finds himself in the same position Max Verstappen did last year during his own intra-team battle with Oscar Piastri.
READ MORE: F1 fans think Toto Wolff has ‘picked his champion’ as Kimi Antonelli radio message goes viral
Lando Norris suggests Kimi Antonelli and George Russell ‘need’ to continue intense title fight
Speaking at the Canadian Sprint press conference, Lando Norris seemingly nudged both George Russell and Kimi Antonelli to continue battling in their title race.
Interestingly, Norris suggested that he was in a similar position to Max Verstappen last season, hinting that he could capitalise on the Mercedes drivers’ heated title battle.
“We’re still just very early on in the season… When you have two good drivers fighting for a championship with a good team, that’s kind of what you expect. Each individual has to fight for their own career. You don’t just go out to prove your point every time.
“But you go because we signed up for it as an individual, you grow up alone, wanting to be the best in the world, and every driver wants to do it.
“They both have their own point to prove. They both want to go out and race, and at the minute, they’re fighting more than anyone for the world championship. So that’s what they need to do. So we’ll be there.
“I think we’re still lacking a bit at the minute, probably similar to last year from Max’s position. We’ll see how much we can hang on for the time being.”
READ MORE: Toto Wolff left unimpressed with Mercedes upgrades despite front-row lockout for Montreal Sprint
George Russell and Kimi Antonelli’s tussle aided Lando Norris’ drive to P2… Does Toto Wolff need to implement any team orders for Sunday’s Grand Prix?
Lando Norris claims George Russell and Kimi Antonelli’s battle has put him in a ‘nice position’ this season
Speaking further in the press conference, Norris added that he finds himself in a nice position with both Antonelli and Russell now locked in an intense title fight.
“I now know how it felt for some of the others last year. Obviously, it’s a nice position to be in. I think, for us, even though the pace was pretty good, the guys pulled away a good amount in the beginning, and I couldn’t go with them.
“I think we’re clearly lacking a little bit of speed compared to them. But the pace was still decent, especially when I was behind George for the rest of the race.
“I just wanted to get to the chequered flag. It helped us that they were racing each other hard, and it was good to watch… We capitalised on it, and that’s what we’re here to do.”
For all the talk of the rivalry between Russell and Antonelli after the sprint, it should be said that McLaren’s internal rivalry wasn’t as intense as Mercedes’, even at its worst.
Perhaps Norris could capitalise as the rivalry between Antonelli and Russell gets more and more heated, similar to what Max Verstappen managed to do last year.
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