Herbert identifies the two reasons behind George Russell’s Mercedes struggles

Russell entered the current campaign as the bookmakers’ favourite to claim the championship title, but his season has unfolded in a way that is far removed from the expectations placed upon him. Through the opening 11 races, the Mercedes driver not only trails teammate Kimi Antonelli by a significant points margin but also finds himself behind Lewis Hamilton, having secured victory in just two of the opening rounds.

While Russell has endured a difficult run of form, Antonelli has continued to go from strength to strength. The young Italian has delivered a remarkable start to the campaign, claiming six race victories and nine podium finishes from the first 11 rounds.

Assessing the possible reasons behind Russell’s struggles, Herbert pointed to Antonelli’s impressive performances alongside the ongoing speculation surrounding Max Verstappen’s potential future as factors increasing the pressure on the 28-year-old.

Speaking via a gambling platform, the former Benetton Formula 1 driver said: “I believe that Kimi Antonelli's consistency is definitely causing George Russell problems at the moment. It seems that every time Russell gets in the car, he gets thoroughly thrashed by Kimi.”

“I know it hasn't been a perfect season for him. I know luck might not have been on his side, but that’s part of Formula 1. This will be tough on him because everyone, myself included, thought this would be George’s year. But it hasn't turned out that way,” Herbert added.

The three-time F1 race winner also highlighted how the continued rumours linking Verstappen with a future move to Mercedes have only added to the pressure surrounding Russell’s position within the team.

“And then there are the constant rumours about Max Verstappen potentially joining Mercedes in the medium term, which certainly don't help Russell's mood. George will be aware that his seat is under threat,” he stated.

Herbert also suggested that Russell has found himself in a position where long-term stability has been difficult to achieve, leaving him with the constant responsibility of proving his value.

“If we look at Kimi Antonelli, on the other hand, we see this impressive inner confidence. It’s probably quite demoralising for George to realise that every time he thinks he has produced an excellent lap, he then finds that he still couldn’t close the gap to Kimi,” he concluded.

Russell enjoyed a brief respite when he claimed victory at the Austrian Grand Prix, but that moment of relief proved short-lived. His struggles continued at the Belgian Grand Prix, where he suffered a DNF, before finishing seventh at the Hungaroring as pressure continued to mount on the Mercedes driver.