George Russell has publicly affirmed that he "hasn't forgotten how to drive" and remains confident in his emerging championship fight against his teammate Kimi Antonelli, even though the Italian youngster clearly outperformed him at the Miami Grand Prix. Russell entered the season as the early favourite after a dominant win in Australia and a victorious Sprint race in China, but he has since watched Antonelli claim three consecutive Grand Prix victories, marking the Italian's first wins in the top tier.
The performance gap in Miami was the widest of the year, with Antonelli securing pole position and taking the checkered flag, while Russell trailed by 43 seconds to finish fourth. That result widened Antonelli's lead in the drivers' championship to 20 points after just four of the scheduled twenty‑two races, prompting UK bookmakers to flip the odds and list the 19‑year‑old as the new title favourite.
After the race, Russell spoke to Sky Sports F1, saying: "He [Antonelli] is a fantastic driver and has been exceptionally quick since day one. He's won all of the championships as a youngster. I've still got confidence in myself and have also been there.
I haven't forgotten how to drive. It's just a little bit of a tricky run but we are four races down, a long way to go and I think we will reassess things over the next few weeks." Russell also explained that the Miami International Autodrome is a "bogey" circuit for him because its low‑grip surface does not suit his precise, smooth‑driving style. Despite the challenges, the weekend ended better than it could have. In the Sprint, Antonelli received a five‑second penalty for repeatedly exceeding track limits, dropping him two places and handing Russell a net gain of two points.
In the main race, a late spin by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc allowed Russell to climb another position and secure two additional points on the final lap. Reflecting on the race, Russell admitted: "A difficult race. The beginning felt OK.
Those early laps I was in the fight, then the hard tyre I was nowhere. I got some ideas in the last 10 laps. We were much more competitive.
I made some quite big changes with my differentials and brake bias and was much closer to what Kimi was running this whole weekend, and it made a bigger impact than I thought. Not a good weekend. I know this place is a real tough one for me.
The real test will come at the next few." Former world champion and Sky Sports F1 analyst Jenson Button believes Russell will be surprised by Antonelli's form but trusts the Briton to bounce back at the next event in Canada. Button said: "I think George is probably thinking, 'what just happened?' He was the favourite, the quickest at the start of the year, and Kimi is exceptionally talented. But the thing with George is he's confident in himself.
He knows he's got the skill and I'm really happy he's letting us all know certain things aren't right. If you bottle it up inside, it's the worst thing possible. He's doing the right thing, and I think he will come out strong in Canada." Sky Sports F1 pundit Naomi Schiff added that Russell can take some comfort from the fact Antonelli has already made mistakes this season, such as the penalty‑inducing track‑limit violations in the Sprint.
"He's a very hard worker but no driver wants to be beaten by their teammate, certainly not George," Schiff noted. "He's spent a lot of years at Williams, then finally made the move to Mercedes without a competitive car.
Now he's got one and his teammate has been beating him. He will take reassurance in that Kimi hasn't been faultless and he will make mistakes this season and maybe George's consistency is what helps him out. But he's got to contend with Kimi's raw speed and the fact he can deliver incredible lap time.
It's never nice but I'm sure he can bounce back." Looking ahead, the Formula 1 calendar moves to Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix, which will also feature a Sprint race. The event is scheduled for May 22‑24 and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, with streaming available via NOW without a long‑term contract.
Russell will aim to close the points gap, refine his car setup for low‑grip circuits, and prove that his early‑season dominance was no fluke. If he can translate the technical adjustments he mentioned—tweaking differentials, brake bias, and tyre strategy—into consistent pace, he could still mount a serious challenge to Antonelli as the season progresses.
The next few races will be crucial in determining whether Russell can rediscover the form that made him the pre‑season favourite or if Antonelli's raw speed will continue to dictate the championship narrative.