George Russell admits Mercedes struggles after Kimi Antonelli’s five wins

George Russell admits Mercedes struggles after Kimi Antonelli’s five wins

George Russell has admitted his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli is outperforming him after five wins to zero this season, blaming unfamiliar car and tyre demands.

On 17 July at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps paddock, Russell compared the challenge to recreating the Mona Lisa from memory. The 28-year-old Briton, a 2022 and 2025 fourth-place finisher, said the data shows exactly where he’s losing ground.

What happened?

Russell started 2026 with victory in Australia, but Antonelli then won five of the next seven races. Russell’s next win came at the Red Bull Ring on Race 8. Between Race 1 and Race 8, Antonelli took five victories while Russell managed none.

The gap is clear in the timing data, Russell said. He added that past teammates left him guessing when he wasn’t on pace, but now the shortfall is visible in black and white.

Why it matters for George Russell

Russell insists he isn’t suddenly forgetting how to drive. Instead, he blames the new power unit, tyres and modified cars for forcing him to adapt mid-career. “If I’ve been doing something one way for 20 years and it worked, then suddenly only works half the time, you have to ask how to change,” he said.

He described the task as learning to draw the Mona Lisa while staring at the real painting. The subconscious habits that once delivered his best performances now require conscious effort. Russell called it a huge challenge to retool technique without losing speed.

What comes next?

Russell believes the issues are fixable. He points to last year’s high success rate in extracting full potential from the car, set-up and tyres. This year that rate has dropped sharply. The Briton aims to restore it before Mercedes’ next race.

Antonelli remains the yardstick. Russell’s focus is on closing the gap shown in the data. He’s confident the team can iron out the wrinkles before the season’s second half.