For any driver, there are two situations that can leave a particularly deep scar. The first is having a car capable of fighting for a world championship but no longer being able to extract the performance expected from it. The second is watching your main title rival – who also happens to be your teammate – not only avoid the same difficulties but actually maximize the package to the point of taking pole position.
Right now, it is not an easy period for George Russell. Since the Japanese Grand Prix, the Mercedes driver appears to have lost the magic touch that made him so effective in qualifying earlier this season, along with the confidence in the car that helped him secure a victory and a second-place finish during the opening rounds despite several circumstances not always going in his favor.
The first warning signs emerged clearly in Miami, a circuit characterized by low grip and a dirty track surface. Those difficulties became increasingly visible as the season progressed. Although pole position in Canada briefly reignited optimism, that spark faded somewhat during the race itself, where Andrea Kimi Antonelli appeared to have an extra edge over longer stints in Montreal.
Confidence. That is the key word, because it is exactly what George Russell feels he is lacking at the moment. Around Monaco, confidence is essential to attack the corners and fully commit between the barriers. Without complete trust in the car, drivers lose rhythm, lap time disappears, and the gap can quickly become significant. In Russell’s case, it grew to almost four tenths of a second compared to his teammate, who is currently enjoying the strongest form of his Formula 1 career.
That contrast forms the basis of Russell’s analysis. While one Mercedes W17 struggled to unlock its potential, the other delivered pole position at a circuit that many considered one of Mercedes’ biggest challenges on the calendar. The comparison only magnified Russell’s disappointment after qualifying sixth, behind not only Andrea Kimi Antonelli but also Isack Hadjar in the second Red Bull.
“In the last few races it’s been really difficult for me to put a lap together. At the start of the season, every lap I did in practice or qualifying, I was first or second. Whereas now, nothing works. At the moment, my driving style is not working with the car.”
The differences in driving style between Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell have always been quite pronounced. The Italian tends to be more aggressive, particularly on corner entry and through the middle phase of the turn. In fact, last season it was Antonelli who suffered most when Mercedes introduced a rear suspension upgrade that reduced driver confidence midway through the year.
This season, however, the situation appears to have completely reversed.
Antonelli is finding more confidence and is therefore able to attack corner entry and carry speed through the turns more aggressively. Around Monaco, that advantage was visible almost everywhere on the circuit. It was particularly evident in the second sector, the most technical part of the lap, where the Italian built the foundation of his pole position. His aggressive braking into the Nouvelle Chicane allowed him to gain several tenths over his rivals.
At the heart of Russell’s lack of confidence is the feeling that he simply does not have enough grip available. On a circuit such as Monaco, strong front-end grip is crucial for attacking the corner entry and rotating the car through the apex without suffering from understeer. Earlier in the season, that had been one of Mercedes’ strengths, and Antonelli has been able to exploit it perfectly throughout the Monaco weekend.
For Russell, however, the picture is very different. The British driver is still searching for answers and currently sees two possible solutions. Either he changes aspects of his driving style to better suit the characteristics of the W17, or Mercedes finds technical improvements through future development that allow him to drive in a more natural way.
“I don’t have much confidence in the car at the moment. I have some ideas why, but I don’t know… There are things in my driving style that I’ve kept throughout all my years at Mercedes and this car isn’t bringing out the best in me. So I need to adapt or make development changes to help me drive more naturally.”
Russell also highlighted how the contrast with Antonelli has become increasingly apparent.
“I think there is clearly a difference in driving style between me and Kimi. That was there last year as well, but back then it played very much in my favor. This year it’s clearly working perfectly in his favor.”
The Mercedes driver specifically pointed to Antonelli’s more aggressive approach, which appears to help him get the tires into the ideal operating window more consistently and therefore generate more grip throughout the lap.
“But that still doesn’t explain why I was so strong at the start of the season and now I’m struggling so much. We need to understand why. The data is clear: the way we drive has a huge impact on the tires. He’s simply able to bring them into a better window than I am, with a cleaner balance throughout the lap, and the pace comes more naturally to him. So yes, I don’t know why it’s happening.”
Russell concluded by stressing that this is not an excuse but rather a reality that he and the team must address together.
“I’ve driven this way for my entire career. And now, for some reason, it’s not working with this car. Last year Kimi was trying to drive like me and it wasn’t working for him either. So it’s not an excuse, it’s simply reality. I either need to work with the team to adapt my driving style to these new tires and these new cars, or find a different setup that works for me. But at the moment, it’s not coming together.”
With Antonelli taking pole position and Russell continuing to search for confidence, Mercedes now finds itself managing two very different situations inside the same garage. While one side of the team is fighting at the very front, the other is still trying to understand why a package that looked so competitive at the start of the season no longer feels natural behind the wheel.
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