At the season-opening race in Australia, Russell appeared to consolidate his leadership status with a victory, as Mercedes lived up to expectations by building the fastest car under new regulations that came into force this year. But from there it was all downhill for the 28-year-old British driver, as Antonelli won the next five races to establish himself as the clear favorite.
“Kimi surprised us all with his maturity. Obviously we knew he had speed and all this talent. I think few people expected that this year he would be so fast and beat a very strong teammate like George,” former Haas F1 team principal Guenther Steiner told NBC News. “I didn’t expect it. He’s a 20-year-old with the mind of an experienced 30-year-old F1 driver. It’s made him who he is.”
Antonelli took the championship lead in the third race of the 2026 season, and he never relinquished it. A critical moment came when Antonelli won in Canada and Monaco while Russell failed to score points in both races due to a mechanical failure and a timing error at the F1 pits. Antonelli’s lead grew to 68 points after the sixth race.
Antonelli had his own bad luck in the following races and Russell made up ground. But it wasn’t enough. And as Russell admitted, Antonelli outperformed him throughout the season, with more pole positions and race wins as well as higher speed when both drivers had equal opportunities.
Another former F1 team boss, Otmar Szafnauer, said Antonelli’s title-winning season can be attributed to three things: “His mental preparation, his raw talent and his good attitude.”
“He’s able to mentally compartmentalize to his advantage,” Szafnauer told NBC News, remaining consistent under pressure.
The Italian all but secured his title last Sunday with a victory in Austin, Texas, even prompting his rivals to concede defeat.
“The truth is he’s been at a higher level than me this year,” Russell told reporters Thursday.
“This season we have the best car, and I’m not able to get these results. So yes, it’s quite strange and it certainly makes us a little perplexed,” he said.
After four years in a Mercedes that was only capable of occasional race victories, Russell finally got his title-winning car. But it was Antonelli who benefited the most. The new generation of F1 cars – with less downforce and a greater reliance on electric power – has forced competitors to rethink their driving style.
The new cars reward Antonelli’s aggressive style of braking late and attacking corners with tight turns. He’s also more comfortable than others driving at the limit with an unwieldy car that tends to slide under him.
In contrast, the 2026 cars punish Russell’s preference for smoother entries and saving lap times by accelerating early out of corners. This approach, which served it well in the previous generation of cars, eats into the tire life and battery power of newer machines. Russell said adjusting his approach is “like a golfer changing his swing.”
The rivalry’s defining moment came at the Italian Grand Prix, when Antonelli started 19th and hunted down Russell to win the race. It is a resounding victory which underlines his advantage over his teammate.
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