David Coulthard points to George Russell concern after British GP P2: "Knows that was fortunate"

David Coulthard believes that George Russell will leave the British Grand Prix feeling like he "got away with it", as his Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli continues to extract a level of performance that the Briton is currently struggling to match.

Russell secured his first-ever podium finish at his home grand prix at Silverstone on Sunday. But the milestone result did not truly represent where the 28-year-old is pace-wise in comparison to his team-mate.

Antonelli, who currently holds a 25-point lead in the drivers' championship, was charging through the field on a 10-lap tyre offset strategy. The Italian was reeling in the leaders, lapping up to 2.5 seconds quicker than eventual race winner Charles Leclerc, before he ran into issues with the Mercedes. 

A bizarre mechanical failure, in which a detached front-right wheel shield prevented him from steering, left Antonelli struggling to keep the car on track. He continued in the race but finished 15th after a track limits penalty.

Speaking on the Up To Speed podcast, Coulthard suggested that Russell is aware of his current performance deficit to his teenage team-mate. 

"I think George will feel like he got away with it this weekend," Coulthard explained.

George Russell, Mercedes

Photo by: James Sutton / LAT Images via Getty Images

"You can tell he's still not really settled in his mind. He knows that was fortunate. And I think he knows that, at the moment, every time they pretty much go on track, Kimi is getting something out of the car that he's struggling to do."

Russell echoed this in his post-race interview with F1 TV. "If I'm being brutally honest, I'm not going to fight for a championship if the performances continue like that," he said. "So, I'm not coming away from this weekend satisfied. I'll take the result.

"I was probably more satisfied leaving Canada when I broke down from the lead than I am today, standing P2. I probably deserved the win in Canada, and today I didn't deserve to stand where I stood."