MIAMI : George Russell remains confident he can regain the upper hand in the Formula One title race, despite losing momentum to his Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team teammate Kimi Antonelli.
Russell began the season as the championship favourite and claimed victory in the opening race in Australia. However, three consecutive wins for the 19-year-old Antonelli have turned the tide, leaving the Briton 20 points behind in the standings.
Bookmakers now list Antonelli as the favourite, but Russell is unfazed.
“Kimi’s in a really great place at the moment and momentum is with him,” Russell said after finishing fourth at the Miami Grand Prix.
“But I’ve got enough experience… I know how momentum swings throughout a year.”
The Briton, who has previously won championships in junior categories, insisted his focus remains simple:
“I just want to get back onto the top step of the podium.”
Attention now shifts to the next race in Canada, a circuit where Russell has historically performed well. He won in Montreal last season from pole position and also secured pole there in 2024.
Despite his current lead, Antonelli acknowledged the long road ahead.
“It’s still a very long season… George is always very strong in Canada,” the Italian said.
“But I feel much more comfortable in the car and in control.”
With plenty of races still to come, the intra-team battle at Mercedes is shaping up to be one of the defining storylines of the season.
