Kimi Antonelli wins Miami GP | Highlights | Formula 1
With Mercedes widely seen as the strongest team heading into the 2026 season since before pre-season testing, George Russell emerged as a natural title contender for this year—a favorite status even acknowledged by 2025 champion Lando Norris.
However, so far it is Kimi Antonelli who leads the standings, driving for the same German squad. Despite the young Italian’s dominant start, team principal Toto Wolff is confident the Briton will mount a response.
After three consecutive victories, Antonelli has reached 100 points in the 2026 F1 standings, 20 ahead of Russell. The Englishman’s only win so far came in Australia.
The next race takes place in Canada, where Russell triumphed in 2025 despite not having one of the strongest cars. Wolff believes Russell is well positioned to start his fightback at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
“George is a killer. What makes him so good is that he never stops fighting or attacking. I’ve seen him throughout his junior career, in karting and here. He goes all out and leaves no stone unturned. I have no doubt both of them will fight for points throughout the championship,” Wolff told Sky Sports.
Although Russell has been outscored by Antonelli in the past three races, he showed strong pace in China and Japan. However, he lost pole position in Shanghai due to a car failure and was unlucky in Suzuka when a safety car came out seconds after he pitted, handing the lead to Kimi.
In Miami, Russell’s performance was clearly below that of his teammate. The driver admitted he struggled to adapt optimally to the circuit, but Wolff does not think recent form will be an issue for George.
“He analyzes these things, looks at the data, draws his conclusions. And the conclusion is that he never felt completely comfortable on that track and never liked the smooth surface. That’s it. You can mark it as done. He’s excited to go to Montreal. I don’t think it’s relevant for the team to think about what will happen at the end of the year,” the team principal added.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, Mercedes drivers in F1 2026 — Photo: Gongora/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Russell, for his part, insists he is not worried about the championship at this stage. To overcome Antonelli’s current form, the Briton will rely on experience: while the Italian is in only his second F1 season, Russell is competing in the series for the eighth time.
Nine years older than his teammate, Russell has contested 156 races, securing six career victories. If he wins in Canada, he could even reclaim the championship lead, depending on Antonelli’s results across the main race and sprint.
The next round of the world championship takes place on May 24.