Riccardo Patrese: If I were Toto Wolff, I would not be happy with Kimi Antonelli’s racing in Canada

Heading into this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix, 19-year-old Italian, Antonelli, sits comfortably atop the standings with a 43-point advantage after winning the last four races in succession. Russell remains on a single victory, having taken the season opener in Australia.

The battle between the Mercedes teammates intensified in Montreal, where Antonelli and Russell went wheel-to-wheel in both the Sprint Race and the Grand Prix. Antonelli repeatedly attacked whenever he found himself behind Russell, while the Briton defended aggressively as the pair pushed the limits.

Antonelli ultimately emerged victorious from the confrontation, claiming another win while Russell’s race ended prematurely when he retired with damage.

Former Formula 1 driver Riccardo Patrese has been impressed by Antonelli’s development but believes the young Mercedes driver may have crossed the line during the Sprint battle in Canada.

Patrese said: "I’ve not really noticed a difference with Kimi. He is still a very nice boy, very polite, very gentle, very educated when he is out of the car. Inside the car, he has the right portion of arrogance that you need to have. Last year he was a little bit shy because he had to understand things.

"This year he is in that mood that you need to be; sometimes perhaps a little bit too much," observed the Italian motorsport veteran. "If I was Toto Wolff, I would not be very happy with what happened in the sprint race in Canada because there could have been a crash because of his aggression.

"This is something that is different from the past. Of course, Toto probably had a meeting after and he said, ‘Please no more!’ But he said it in a very gentle way," added Patrese, 

Patrese contrasted modern Formula 1 team management with the far tougher approach he experienced during his own career, recalling a famous incident involving former Williams technical chief Patrick Head.

Patrese explained: "In my day it was so different, especially with people like Patrick Head. I risked a lot when I overtook Nigel Mansell at the end of the straight in Mexico after a poor start and I went to win the Grand Prix.

"The overtaking was a little bit close, and afterwards, Head came at us, he wanted to crash our heads together with a hammer, he was so upset. Now everybody is very, I say politically correct!"

While Patrese acknowledged that Antonelli’s aggression may have pushed the boundaries, he also suggested it reflects the confidence of a driver who has rapidly evolved from promising rookie into Formula 1’s championship leader.

That confidence will be tested again this weekend in Monaco, where qualifying is expected to play a decisive role and perhaps, more than most venues where Russell's experience may be the edge he needs to halt Antonlli's.

Antonelli arrives with momentum, a commanding 43 points championship lead, hunting a fifth win on the trot at Formula 1. crown jewel, but now with a target firmly on his back as rivals look to halt his remarkable and historic streak. Although the title race is still very long, it's lmost at the stage that it's his to lose.

Riccardo Patrese was speaking to F1 Hospitality provider Vision4Sport, who have teamed up with BWT Alpine to offer an exclusive Monaco yacht experience.