George Russell praises Kimi Antonelli: “Incredibly fast, his start to 2026 has been perfect”. George Russell has praised teammate Kimi Antonelli after a strong start to the 2026 Formula 1 season.

George Russell has taken off his hat in admiration for Kimi Antonelli’s opening three races of the 2026 Formula 1 season, with the Italian driver currently leading the championship and holding a nine-point advantage over the British Mercedes driver.

Russell praises Antonelli’s performances

After pre-season testing confirmed Mercedes’ overall competitiveness and suggested George Russell would be the clear reference point within the team, expectations were that he would dominate both his teammate Kimi Antonelli and the rest of the field in the opening rounds.

That scenario partially played out in Melbourne, where George Russell finished ahead of a strong Antonelli, with the Bologna-born driver crossing the line just three seconds behind his teammate. However, in Shanghai and Suzuka, it was car number 12 that came out on top, with Russell suffering from some unlucky incidents, but also lacking the outright pace to match the championship leader.

Russell is undoubtedly a fast and highly competitive driver, but he is now facing a much bigger challenge than he may have initially expected. The spring break could prove to be a turning point, especially as he has clearly moved away from the somewhat paternalistic and dismissive tone he previously used when speaking about Antonelli.

He now fully recognises that he has a dangerous internal rival who can no longer be underestimated. In his most recent comments, George Russell paints a very different picture of Antonelli, no longer as a rookie needing guidance, but as a talent on the verge of a major breakthrough.

Russell’s words

“It’s fantastic to have Kimi as a teammate. He is an incredibly fast driver, and he has shown that ever since we became teammates last year,” said the British driver.

“It’s been a perfect start to the year for him, and I’m really looking forward to fighting with Kimi again in the upcoming races,” he added.

“I think all of us at that age felt a lot of excitement about what was ahead. I remember when I was 19 and chasing the dream of becoming a Formula 1 world champion. And I’m still chasing it today.”