Russell told what he must do to stop Antonelli’s dominant run

The Italian arrives on the back of a sensational run of form, having secured three consecutive pole positions and victories, extending his lead over his team-mate to 20 points in Miami. Russell, meanwhile, has not only failed to close the gap over the last two races, but has also been unable to finish on the podium despite the W17’s superiority over the rest of the field.

Speaking on the BBC’s Chequered Flag podcast, Montoya suggested Russell’s priority should now be finding a way to consistently match Antonelli’s performances, believing that sustained pressure on the Italian could eventually force him into mistakes as he pushes even harder to stay ahead: “I think what George really needs to do is figure out how to match Kimi. Because if he starts matching Kimi, Kimi will try to step even further to keep beating him, and I think mistakes can come.”

Montoya sees the Canadian Grand Prix as a potentially defining moment in the internal Mercedes battle between Antonelli and Russell. The former F1 driver believes that outperforming Russell at a circuit where the Briton has historically been very competitive could give Antonelli a major confidence boost and shift the momentum of the fight in his favour for the rest of the season.

The Colombian also highlighted another key factor heading into the weekend: the impact of the latest upgrades brought by several teams. In his view, new parts may improve overall performance, but they can also change the car’s characteristics considerably, creating uncertainty over which drivers will adapt best and who could end up struggling with the new balance.