LONDON, June 30 (Reuters) - Maturity and mental strength can give George Russell an edge in the psychological Formula One title battle with teenage Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli, according to the Briton's former boss Claire Williams.
Russell, 28, is second overall but a hefty 40 points adrift of 19-year-old Italian phenomenon Antonelli, who has taken the sport by storm in only his second season with five wins from the first six rounds.
This weekend the two will line up again at Silverstone, a home race for Russell, in round nine of the championship.
“My experience of George ... I think he is perfectly capable of winning that psychological battle when it comes to trying to win a world championship,” Williams, who was Russell's first F1 boss when he drove for the team from 2019-21, told reporters.
“He's quite self-aware and he will be sitting there each and every day (thinking) - ‘What do I need to do in order to surpass my team-mate? How can I win that battle?’"
Williams, who left Formula One after the sale of her family-owned team in 2020 but still works as an occasional pundit and guest speaker, compared the current Mercedes duel to the one between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg at the same stable 10 years ago, when Rosberg took the title by just five points.
"It is the psychological battle that wins the war at the end of the day. And I think George, because he has got a layer of maturity over Kimi at this stage, just by sheer numbers, that's where he will win the fight," she said.
Russell has won twice this season, most recently in Austria last weekend, and goes to Silverstone seeking to chip away further at Antonelli's advantage.
The Briton started the season as the London bookmakers' title favourite but Antonelli soon ripped up those odds with his amazing run of five wins in a row.
Williams recalled how her compatriot had always shown a maturity beyond his years, noting that the driver himself used to tell a story about how rivals would call him "Grandpa" in his karting days.
"I believe he has got it. He has got the talent. It is just making sure that the Mercedes has the reliability he needs to get it over the line,” said Williams.
"George just needs to take a step back, and focus and roll his sleeves up."
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
