George Russell maintains that he "does have an answer" to Kimi Antonelli's blistering pace, but he concedes that a measure of luck will be essential if he hopes to overtake his Mercedes teammate in the Drivers' Championship standings. The British driver’s title aspirations took a serious hit at last weekend’s Italian Grand Prix in Monza.
Despite starting from the front row, Russell was out‑finished by the 20‑year‑old Italian, who had begun the race from P19 after serving a grid penalty for exceeding his allocated engine components. Antonelli’s victory pushed him 66 points ahead of Russell with ten races still to run, the next event being the Spanish Grand Prix at the newly built Madríng circuit in Madrid. At the start of the 2026 season, Russell was widely regarded as the favourite to claim the championship.
To date, however, he has secured only two Grand Prix wins, whereas Antonelli has already amassed seven. The young Italian has consistently posted faster lap times, especially when it comes to race‑pace, leaving Russell scrambling for a way to close the gap. When asked whether he truly lacked a response to Antonelli’s speed, Russell answered confidently: "I do have an answer and I’m working on it, and it’s gotten a lot better.
I’m very pleased with the step I’ve taken because fundamentally changing your driving style is something many drivers can do, but actually being quick with that new style is another matter altogether." After a disappointing weekend in Italy, Russell managed to put together solid performances in the Netherlands and again in Monza, yet he still could not out‑finish Antonelli on the Sunday race day. The British driver highlighted his recent progress, noting, "Since the summer break my performance has improved.
I qualified ahead of him in three separate qualifying sessions and my race pace has been on par with his in the last two races. I couldn’t say that before the break, so I’m definitely pleased with that progression.
We’ll see how the rest of the season unfolds." Russell repeatedly stresses that his primary focus is on enhancing his own performance rather than obsessing over Antonelli’s lead. Nevertheless, he admits that a degree of fortune will be required to claim his first drivers’ title.
Adding to his challenges, Russell is set to incur a grid penalty for introducing new engine parts later in the season, which could force him to start a race from the back of the pack. Regarding his championship hopes, Russell said, "I’m not trying to be delusional. The reality is my teammate has done a better job than me this year. I’ve had some bad luck, but he deserves to be leading and right now he deserves the position he’s in.
From my side I’m just taking it race by race, trying to win as many as possible. If I want to win the championship I’ll need some luck, and that’s where we are. I’m being realistic about the situation." Antonelli’s triumph on a weekend where his rivals were expected to close the gap has only reinforced his status as the overwhelming favourite to seal the title.
Behind Russell, former champion Lewis Hamilton, now driving for Ferrari, trails Antonelli by 76 points, while McLaren’s Lando Norris sits 96 points back in fourth place. Even with his dominant position, Antonelli cautions that it is still early to think about the championship. He remarked, "I don’t even know how many races are left – ten?
It’s still a long way to go. It’s still early. I don’t want to drive thinking about the championship. Monza proved I wasn’t driving with that pressure.
I was just driving to win, to do my best. In the future there may be moments when I have to consider the championship before making a decision, but I want to avoid going into a free practice, qualifying or even a race thinking about or worrying about the title. That’s what I want to avoid at all costs." The upcoming Spanish Grand Prix weekend is packed with support races and events. On Friday, September 11, the schedule includes F3 practice at 8:50 am, F2 practice at 10:00 am, the first Spanish Grand Prix practice session at 12:30 pm, followed by F2 qualifying at 12:55 pm, a team bosses’ press conference at 2:40 pm, the second F1 practice at 3:45 pm, F3 qualifying at 5:20 pm, and the F1 Show at 6:20 pm.
Saturday, September 12, features an F3 sprint at 10:00 am, the third F1 practice at 11:30 am, F2 sprint at 1:10 pm, a build‑up to the Spanish Grand Prix qualifying at 2:15 pm, the qualifying session itself at 3:00 pm, the F3 Feature Race 1 at 4:55 pm, and Ted’s Qualifying Notebook at 6:00 pm. Sunday, September 13, starts with the F3 Feature Race 2 at 8:40 am, the F2 Feature Race at 10:20 am, a Grand Prix build‑up at 12:30 pm, the main Spanish Grand Prix at 2:00 pm, the chequered flag ceremony and post‑race reaction at 4:00 pm, and finally Ted’s Notebook at 5:00 pm. The Spanish Grand Prix will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, with streaming available through NOW without a long‑term contract and with the option to cancel at any time.
As the season approaches its decisive phase, all eyes will be on whether Russell can translate his newly adjusted driving style into the results needed to challenge Antonelli’s lead, or whether the Italian prodigy will continue to dominate and clinch the championship before the final race in Abu Dhabi.