Formula 1 World Championship hopes dashed? Here’s what George Russell (Mercedes) has to say

Was this race the decisive one in the World Championship? At Monza, Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli secured a spectacular victory in his home race. The Italian had started from 19th on the grid due to an engine penalty, but fought his way through to victory. His team-mate George Russell started from second on the grid and also finished the race in second place. In itself, it was a top result – but Russell couldn’t really celebrate.

No wonder, given that the Briton is now a whopping 66 points behind his team-mate. Ten races are nominally still to be run, but realistically it’s more likely to be nine due to the situation in the Middle East (it currently looks as though the Qatar and Abu Dhabi races will be cancelled and replaced by a race at Imola, although nothing has been decided yet). Antonelli’s lead is growing; the Italian has the momentum on his side – whilst it feels as though everything is currently going against George Russell. Yes, Antonelli had extra power at Monza thanks to the new power unit (which is why he received the grid penalty). Nevertheless, the Italian Grand Prix shines a spotlight on the situation at the top of the World Championship and within the Mercedes team.

Russell: “Kimi has everything under control”

Does George Russell have to say goodbye to his hopes of the 2026 World Championship title for good? When asked for his view on the World Championship battle this season, the Briton said after the race: “Kimi definitely has everything under control, and he deserves to be in control.” With 66 points, Antonelli is well over two wins ahead, assuming his rival scores no points (that would be 50, i.e. 2×25 points). So Russell no longer has his fate in his own hands.

Hypothetical calculation: Even if Russell were to win all the remaining races (assuming there are 9 GPs) and the one remaining sprint race (Singapore), whilst Antonelli finished second in each, that would only bring Russell’s tally up to 64 points. A difficult situation for the Brit – both mathematically and mentally.

Russell: I’m not thinking about a comeback at all

Russell says: “Personally, I’m not thinking about a battle or a comeback or anything like that at all. I’m just focusing on racing one race at a time and making the most of every single weekend.”

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And regarding his team-mate Antonelli, he remarks appreciatively: “He’s performing incredibly well. It’s going to be an extraordinary challenge to make up this deficit, so I’m just going to take it as it is and, from now on, simply enjoy it and try to win as many races as possible.”