Wolff delivers frank assessment on Russell amid Antonelli's surge in form

The British driver, who had been widely tipped as a title contender heading into the 2026 campaign, has seen that early momentum fade into thin air, with Antonelli now emerging as the standout performer after three consecutive race victories.

While Antonelli continues to flourish, Russell’s season has taken a tougher turn, with the 28-year-old now on a two-race run without a podium finish. Reflecting on the contrasting fortunes of his drivers, Wolff admitted that Antonelli has been the more consistent performer on race weekends, while also backing Russell to rediscover his best form.

"What we love about this sport is that the clock never lies at the end of the race, and the clock says Kimi deservedly won the last three GPs. Russell hasn't done as well, in some cases due to team problems, or bad luck, and in Miami due to his own mistakes. That said, we know George's value, and we know he'll return, starting from Canada, very competitive and ready to make life difficult for his opponents,” Wolff said via Gazzetta dello Sport.

Russell’s points gap to Antonelli in the Drivers’ Championship has now stretched to 20 after he could only manage fourth place at the Miami Grand Prix.

Earlier Russell insisted he “hasn’t forgotten how to drive” after being beaten by teammate Antonelli at the Miami GP. The Mercedes driver headed into the race weekend in Florida targeting his first win since the Australian Grand Prix, but instead endured another frustrating outing, leaving him with more questions than answers.

Russell finished 43 seconds behind Antonelli, with the British driver admitting he is going through a difficult spell but remains confident he can turn things around.

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