F1 star claims George Russell is 'lucky' to only trail Kimi Antonelli by 25 points

Kimi Antonelli, George Russell, Monaco GP, 2026, generic — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

F1 star claims George Russell is 'lucky' to only trail Kimi Antonelli by 25 points

He should be better than a teenager!

Chris Deeley Editor

Experienced sports writer covering F1 and other motorsports since 2023

Wednesday 15 July 2026 10:56

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Former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer has warned George Russell that he's lucky to only be a race win behind team-mate Kimi Antonelli in the world championship standings.

Russell got out of the blocks fastest in Melbourne, taking the first race win of the season and with it the championship lead, but Antonelli won the next five races in a row to snatch the lead back in Japan.

The Brit had some poor fortunate of his own in that run - an unfortunately timed safety car robbing him of some points at Suzuka, his car giving up on him while leading in Canada, and a calamity of errors from both the FIA and his team meaning that penalties pushed him out of the points in Monaco through no real fault of his own.

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That luck has turned somewhat in the last month though, with Antonelli suffering two point-free Sundays in the last three races thanks to mechanical issues in Barcelona and at Silverstone.

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Palmer conceded that Russell is still the biggest threat to his teenage team-mate's chances of taking a record-demolishing title, but said his level of performance must improve for that to happen.

“I would say Kimi’s biggest threat remains George,” he said on the F1 Nation podcast. “Right now, George is fortunate to be 25 points away with his level of performance.

"But the case study showed last year; Lando [Norris] found the pace at the end of the year and he put a run together and Oscar [Piastri]’s form wasn’t sustainable.

“Kimi has been unlucky. You expect as a driver these things to give and take over the year. It already has done for Mercedes. If Kimi’s car keeps breaking down, he might not win the championship, but that’s out of his control.

“For me, it’s down to Russell finding his feet, putting in more of those Melbourne style performances where he looks like Russell of yesteryear again.”

F1 Mercedes George Russell Kimi Antonelli Jolyon Palmer