George Russell has made it clear that Kimi Antonelli's current advantage in the 2026 Formula One standings "isn't even a consideration" for him at this point in the season. The 19‑year‑old Italian prodigy sits nine points ahead of the seasoned Mercedes driver and is aiming for a third consecutive race victory as the series heads to Miami for a sprint‑format weekend.
Antonelli, who became the youngest ever points leader in F1 history earlier this year, is only in his second season at the top level. Yet neither he nor Russell has yet mounted a genuine title challenge.
When asked whether Antonelli's position at the top of the table had altered the internal dynamics at Mercedes, Russell responded with a calm analogy: "No, not at all. I was asked this morning while we were talking about the London Marathon, and it made me think. The runner in the marathon, after three miles, isn’t worrying about the finish line because there are still 23 miles left. We’re only in race four of the championship, so his lead is not even a consideration.
Of course, he’s done an amazing job so far this year." He added that his own performance in the previous race had been “a little bit unfortunate,” but emphasized the long‑term nature of a championship: "These things can swing one way one weekend and then swing back later in the year. I’ve been around long enough to understand how a title fight evolves, and there’s still a lot of ground to cover." Russell believes he has already extracted the maximum possible from his car given the circumstances of the season and referenced his junior career, where he rarely won every single event. "The championships I fought and won as a youngster weren’t about winning every weekend," he said.
"There were races where the car broke down, incidents that cost us time, and plain bad luck. The same applied to the drivers who were battling for the title last year." He continued, "Every difficult weekend should still yield a respectable result – a P2 in China, a P4 in Japan – and if that’s my difficult weekend, I’ll be happy. I’m simply hoping for smooth weekends because when the car runs without issues, victory becomes a realistic target." The five‑week hiatus since the last Grand Prix has allowed every team to bring new parts to Miami, though the scale of those upgrades varies.
Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull have introduced significant components, while Mercedes has chosen to spread its development over the next two races – Miami and then Canada. Russell explained, "We were a bit surprised that some teams brought upgrades to Miami. I think those parts were originally intended for Bahrain or Saudi Arabia. We expected most teams to debut their upgrades in Montreal.
We’ll have a slightly larger upgrade package for Canada because there are still two weeks after Miami. Hopefully they haven’t closed the gap too much by then." Returning to the circuit where he claimed his first F1 pole in sprint qualifying a year ago, Antonelli expects the competition to be fiercer than in the opening three rounds. "It’s going to be a very interesting weekend for us.
We’re not bringing anything major, just a few small tweaks, while other teams are rolling out big upgrades – Ferrari, McLaren, and even Red Bull are all bringing new parts," he said. "They’ll definitely get closer, and we may have to fight harder this weekend. But we’ll keep our heads down, I’ll try to get the most out of the car, and we’ll see what the result is." The weekend schedule is packed with support series and F1 sessions. On Friday, May 1, the day begins with an F2 practice session at 2:35 pm, followed by the Miami GP practice at 5:00 pm, F2 qualifying at 7:25 pm, the team bosses' press conference at 8:10 pm, and finally sprint qualifying starting at 9:30 pm.
Saturday, May 2, features an F2 sprint at 2:55 pm, the build‑up to the Miami sprint at 4:00 pm, the sprint race itself at 5:00 pm, and the main Grand Prix qualifying later in the evening. Sunday, May 3, hosts the F2 feature race at 5:25 pm, a build‑up to the Grand Prix at 7:00 pm, the Miami Grand Prix at 9:00 pm, and post‑race analysis and reaction shows throughout the night. All of these events are also available on Sky Sports Main Event.
As the 2026 season resumes in Miami, the sprint format adds an extra layer of strategy and excitement. Fans can watch live on Sky Sports F1, with the Grand Prix slated for a 9 pm start on Sunday. For those who prefer streaming, NOW offers Sky Sports without a contract and the option to cancel at any time.
The combination of a youthful championship leader, seasoned veterans, and a flurry of technical upgrades promises a weekend full of intrigue, on‑track battles, and the ever‑present question of who will ultimately shape the narrative of this year’s title chase.