George Russell's playful jab at Kimi Antonelli's potential F1 championship challenge: "Get yourself in trouble."

George Russell has devised a lighthearted strategy to hinder his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli from securing the Formula 1 championship at the United States Grand Prix: taking him out for drinks.

Antonelli is in position to claim his first F1 title as he approaches the race at the Circuit of the Americas with a 102-point advantage over second-place Russell in the standings. For the Italian driver to clinch the title, he must win the United States Grand Prix, while Russell must finish outside of the top eight and Lewis Hamilton outside of the top four.

The two Mercedes drivers appeared together at a fan event prior to the race weekend, where Russell humorously mentioned that a night on the town in Austin might be his best shot at narrowing the gap to Antonelli.

"I could take you drinking," Russell quipped to Antonelli in a clip that circulated widely on social media. "Actually, this could be a clever way to outsmart you in the championship, get you arrested on Sunday night."

The audience responded with laughter, particularly since the 20-year-old has not yet reached the legal drinking age in the US.

"I truly appreciate Russell’s mindset. He receives too much negativity, but he recognizes that this year he hasn’t done enough and just wants to push through," one fan remarked on Reddit, while another added: "It's a joke, unless..."

"Now George is starting to get the right idea! Honestly, I respect him for being lighthearted and making jokes about it," another user commented.

Additional reactions included: "You can see the expression on his face afterward; it’s like 'You know what, that’s not a bad thought. In for a penny, in for a pound,'" and "George thinking out loud."

The United States Grand Prix marks the beginning of the second-to-last triple-header of the season and is scheduled for Sunday, October 25.

Photos from F1 United States GP - Saturday

Share Or Save This Story