George Russell made it clear that Kimi Antonelli's current advantage in the 2026 Formula 1 drivers' standings is not something he is worrying about at this point in the season. The young Italian, who is just 19 years old, sits nine points ahead of the Mercedes veteran and is chasing a third consecutive race victory as the championship heads to Miami for a Sprint weekend. Antonelli's position is historic – he is the youngest driver ever to lead the F1 championship – and it comes in only his second year in the sport.
Yet, despite the headlines, Russell insists that the gap does not alter the internal dynamics at Mercedes. "No, not at all," he said when asked whether the Italian's lead had changed the atmosphere within the team.
He likened the situation to running a marathon: "When you’re three miles into the London Marathon you’re not thinking about the finish line because you still have 23 miles to go. We’re only in race four, so it’s not even a consideration. Of course, he’s done an amazing job so far this year." Russell reflected on his own recent performance, acknowledging that the previous race had not gone his way but emphasizing that a championship is a marathon, not a sprint. "Things swing one way one weekend and then swing back later in the year," he noted, adding that his experience teaches him that there is still a long way to go before the title is decided.
He believes he has extracted the maximum possible from the car under the current circumstances, pointing to his junior career where victories were never achieved every single weekend. "The championships I fought and won as a youngster weren’t won every weekend," he explained.
"You have weekends where the car breaks down, you have a weekend where you have an incident, you have a weekend where you’re unlucky. That’s the same for the guys who were fighting for the championship last year." He went on to say that even a modest result on a tough weekend would be satisfactory.
"If a difficult weekend gives us a P2 in China, like we had, or a P4 in Japan, I’m happy with that. I’m hoping for a smooth weekend because when the weekend is smooth I can win," Russell said. The five‑week hiatus since the last Grand Prix has given every team time to develop upgrades, and the Miami event is expected to showcase a range of new parts.
Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull are bringing significant updates, while Mercedes has chosen to spread its development over the next two rounds – Miami and then Canada. "We’re a bit surprised some people have brought their upgrades to Miami. I think those were probably meant for Bahrain or Saudi," Russell commented.
"We expected many teams to bring upgrades to Montreal. We’ll have a slightly bigger upgrade in Canada because there are still two weeks after Miami before Canada.
Let’s see if they haven’t caught up too much." Antonelli, who will return to the circuit where he claimed his first F1 pole in the Sprint qualifying a year ago, expects the competition to be fiercer than it was in the opening three rounds. "It’s going to be a very interesting weekend for us. We’re not really bringing anything, just very small things, while other teams are bringing big upgrades, such as Ferrari and McLaren," he said.
"Red Bull is also bringing an upgrade. So let’s see how we do. They’ll definitely get closer and we might have to fight a lot more this weekend. But we’ll do our best, keep our heads down, and I’ll try to maximise the performance of the car.
Then we’ll see what the result will be." The Miami weekend schedule is packed with action across both Formula 2 and Formula 1. On Friday, May 1, the day starts with an F2 practice session at 2.35 pm, followed by the Miami GP practice at 4.30 pm, F2 qualifying at 7.25 pm, the team bosses’ press conference at 8.10 pm, and the Sprint qualifying session at 8.40 pm (which begins at 9.30 pm).
Saturday, May 2, features the F2 sprint at 2.55 pm, the build‑up to the Miami GP sprint at 4 pm, the sprint race itself at 5 pm, and a series of post‑race analysis shows throughout the evening, culminating in the main Grand Prix qualifying at 9 pm. Sunday, May 3, includes the F2 feature race at 5.25 pm, the build‑up to the Grand Prix at 7 pm, the Miami Grand Prix start at 9 pm, followed by a post‑race reaction show at 11 pm and a final wrap‑up notebook at midnight.
All of this will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, with the option to stream via NOW without a long‑term contract. As the 2026 season resumes in Miami, the focus will be on whether Antonelli can extend his lead, whether Mercedes can close the gap with strategic upgrades, and whether the sprint format adds another layer of excitement to the championship battle. Russell’s calm confidence and Antonelli’s youthful momentum set the stage for a weekend that could shape the narrative of the season, but as Russell reminded everyone, the marathon is still very much in its early stages.