George Russell insists he ‘has the answer’ to Kimi Antonelli’s speed amid his Mercedes teammate’s dominance in title fight

George Russell insists he “has the answer” to Kimi Antonelli’s speed but admits he will need luck to catch his Mercedes teammate at the top of the Drivers’ Championship.

Russell dealt a demoralizing blow to his already slim title hopes at last weekend’s Italian Grand Prix when he conceded victory to Antonelli despite the 20-year-old starting from 19th on the grid after receiving a penalty for exceeding the limit on engine parts.

The result leaves Russell, who started second at Monza, 66 points behind Antonelli with 10 rounds remaining, starting with this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid.

Russell started the season as the clear favorite for the title, but has won just two Grands Prix compared to Antonelli’s seven, with the Italian consistently faster, especially in terms of race pace.

Asked about being in a situation where he didn’t have an answer to Antonelli’s speed, Russell said: “I have an answer and I’m working on it and it’s improved a lot.

“I’m very pleased with the step I’ve taken because fundamentally changing driving style is achievable for many drivers, but actually being fast with it is another matter.”

Having hit his low point before Formula One’s summer break, Russell had a good weekend in the Netherlands and Italy but was still unable to beat Antonelli on Sunday.

“I feel like my results after the summer break were… I qualified ahead of him in three qualifying sessions and my race pace was on par with him in those two races. And I couldn’t say that before the break. I’m definitely very pleased with this progress.

“We’ll have to see where the rest of the season takes us.”

Russell ‘trying not to be deluded’

Russell has repeatedly insisted his focus is on improving his own performance rather than thinking about catching Antonelli, but ahead of Formula One’s return to Madrid he admitted he will need some luck if he is to win his first driver’s title this year.

In addition to his deficit, Russell will also face a penalty for purchasing new engine parts before the end of the season, which will result in him starting the race from the back of the field.

On his prospects of winning the title, Russell said: “I’m not trying to cheat. The reality is my teammate did a better job than me this year.”

“I’ve been unlucky, but he deserves to lead and right now he deserves to be in the position he’s in.

“For my part, I just take it race after race. I will try to win as much as possible.

“If I want to win this championship I’m going to need a little bit of luck and that’s where we are. I’m pretty realistic about the situation we’re in.”

Antonelli: I want not to think about the championship

Antonelli’s victory at the weekend, when his rivals were expected to beat him, further cemented his status as the overwhelming favorite to finish the championship.

Behind Russell, Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton is 76 points behind Antonelli, with McLaren’s Lando Norris 96 points behind in fourth.

Despite the strength of his position, Antonelli maintains that it is “too early” to think about the championship.

He said: “I don’t even know how many races are left. Ten? So, there is still a long way to go. It’s still early.

“And I don’t really want to race thinking about the championship. Monza was proof that I didn’t go thinking or worrying about the championship.

“I was just going to win, to do my best, and that’s my mentality.

“Of course, in the future there may be cases when, before making a certain decision, I will think about the championship.

“But what I want to avoid is going to the track for free practice, qualifying or even a race thinking or worrying about the championship. This is something I want to avoid at all costs.”

Schedule of the Spanish Grand Prix Sky Sports F1 live

Friday, September 11
8.50: F3 training.
10:00: F2 workout.
12:00: First practice for the Spanish Grand Prix (session starts at 12:30).
12:55: F2 qualifying.
14.40: Press conference of team leaders.
15:45: Second practice for the Spanish Grand Prix (session starts at 16:00).
17:20: F3 qualifying.
18:20: F1 show.

Saturday, September 12
10:00: Sprint F3.
11:00: Third practice for the Spanish Grand Prix (session starts at 11:30).
13.10: Sprint F2.
14.15: Preparation for qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix.
15:00: QUALIFYING FOR THE SPANISH GRAND PRIX*
16:55: F3 Special Race 1
6:00 p.m.: Ted’s Qualification Notebook.

Sunday, September 13
8:40: F3 Special Race 2
10:20: F2 Special Race.
12:30: Grand Prix on Sunday: preparations for the Spanish Grand Prix.
14:00: SPANISH GRAND PRIX.
16:00: Checkered flag: Spanish Grand Prix reaction
17:00: Ted’s Notebook.

*also on Sky Sports Main Event

Formula 1 is in Madrid for the Spanish Grand Prix at the new Madring circuit, with Sunday’s race taking place at 2pm (starting at 12.30pm) live on Sky Sports F1. Watch Sky Sports now – no contract, cancel anytime