Kulthard: George doesn't need a confident partner.

      Former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard believes that Kimi Antonelli's success could mirror last year's misfortune of Oscar Piastri, who also started the season strong but then lost his advantage...

      David Coulthard: "Kimi looks open and sincere right now, but remember my words – this will change as he grows up in front of the public.

      At first, everything will be interesting and exciting; he is invited to the best spots at the court or basketball – everywhere he goes, and then he will start to get tired of the constant demands on him.

      Let’s remember this moment, this joyful smile. Maybe not this year, but one day he will tire of this struggle. And we all want him to keep his enthusiasm for as long as possible.

      Another question: will he have the strength for the whole season? Last year, with Oscar Piastri, we saw how difficult this can be. He arrived in Baku to win the race but made a bunch of mistakes. And it was at that moment that the more experienced Lando gained the advantage. If I were George Russell, I would declare the track a war zone and provide no help to my teammate.

      George understands that this is his chance, but any advantage they have at the start of the season will gradually be lost as other teams with Mercedes engines figure out energy usage.

      Kimi is gaining confidence now, but George doesn’t need a confident teammate. He needs a teammate who thinks to himself: 'I’m not sure I can beat George in qualifying.' Believe me, I know; I had teammates when I looked at lap times and qualifying results and thought: 'I only have one set of tires left. I don’t think I can go faster.'

      George needs to start undermining Kimi's confidence while maintaining the appearance of complete well-being within Mercedes, an atmosphere of love and universal happiness. In my opinion, George should do this as soon as possible, as Kimi is gaining confidence right now."