George Russell reckons his Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli is extra aggressive than him at this weekend’s Method 1 Miami Grand Prix as a result of monitor being very low on grip.
Antonelli stormed to his third consecutive grand prix pole on Saturday and certified 4 tenths above Russell, who solely mustered fifth having been second greatest to his stablemate all through.
It began in dash qualifying when Antonelli took second with Russell sixth, earlier than the 19-year-old crossed the road in fourth and one spot above the collection veteran.
Though a post-race five-second monitor limits penalty then dropped Antonelli to sixth, the championship chief nonetheless clearly has the sting over Russell forward of Sunday’s grand prix.
“I simply made a mistake on my final nook, final lap, I used to be about three tenths up,” mentioned Russell. “Just a little bit irritated, however this can be a monitor I’ve at all times struggled with.
“Kimi was [sprint] pole final yr, I used to be P5, at present he is pole and I am P5. It is simply very low grip right here, you are sliding round rather a lot, [the] tarmac’s sizzling.
“Just like Brazil [2025], Kimi once more was extra aggressive than me there. Whereas I a lot favor the excessive grip situations, the place the tyre and the automobile is extra related with the bottom.
“So, yeah, I simply need to get via this weekend, actually.”
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Picture by: Icon Sportswire through Getty Photographs
Russell heads into the grand prix seven factors behind Antonelli within the standings with the F1 sophomore trying to find his third, consecutive Sunday victory.
However that is arguably the primary time he’s really had the sting over Russell in 2026, as dangerous luck on the Briton’s aspect value him within the final two rounds after successful the Melbourne opener from pole.
Talking extra on Miami not suiting him, Russell advised Sky Sports activities: “I am fairly a clean, exact driver, and that is at all times been my model, and on these tracks you’ve got simply obtained to be pleased with the automobile simply sliding.
“I just like the automobile on the sting, however that is such as you’ve obtained a set of 200 lap previous tyres in your automobile, and also you go round and it is simply sliding understeer and oversteer.
“That is the identical for everyone, for what it is price, it is so sizzling, tyre pressures are excessive, the grip’s actually low, so it does not truly really feel that nice, whereas you go to tracks like Saudi, and the grip’s tremendous excessive, and it feels mega to drive, and that is why.”
His Mercedes boss Toto Wolff even held a relatively fascinating tennis analogy as to why Russell has been struggling this weekend.
The Austrian advised Sky Sports activities: “George mentioned to me that there are drivers who battle with sure tracks and right here the asphalt could be very clean. It is nearly like a participant that’s good on clay and one other one that’s higher on a tough floor.
“However via qualifying he made it and made it up within the instances and it is only a smidge lacking to P3. So I am actually completely satisfied additionally to see that his growth over qualifying on a monitor that he isn’t 100% comfy.”
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