George Russell has ‘gone missing’, panic button will soon be hit | F1 | Sport

George Russell, self-confident as ever, won’t reach for the panic button just yet. But he might be tempted to do so if he loses any more ground to the teenaged team-mate who has surprised him and everyone else this year. Because even though Kimi Antonelli‘s potential has been obvious for some time, nothing we saw in his rookie Formula 1 campaign last year suggested he would begin his sophomore season like this.

Since Russell’s win on the opening day in Melbourne, strengthening his position as the pre-season title favourite, the Brit has played second fiddle to his team-mate. Antonelli’s first two Grand Prix wins, in China and Japan, were mitigated somewhat by the fact Russell had endured mechanical problems which hampered his chances. But in Miami there was no asterisk – Antonelli was simply quicker. All weekend.

After Saturday’s sprint, in which Russell inherited fourth from Antonelli after a post-race penalty, the Brit was already offering his excuse for being off the teenager’s pace. “It’s a track I’ve never really liked in terms of how you have to drive the cars,” he said in the media pen, sweating in the Miami heat. It’s one I struggle at – it’s definitely one my team-mate excels at. Sometimes you have to accept that’s the case and maximise the points.”

He failed to do that, finishing off the podium. Again. While his team-mate beat red-hot defending champion Lando Norris to victory in the same car. Team boss Toto Wolff, while again trying to control the hype around his precocious starlet, reminded us all after the race that Russell remains a “killer”.

But he hasn’t yet shown it this season, having earned his title favourite status on the back of an impressively consistent 2025 campaign. The general consensus in the Miami paddock last weekend was that he has yet to display the same level this term. “The George from last year, I think he’s gone missing a little bit,” observed 1996 world champion Damon Hill.

Accepting that Miami clearly isn’t Russell’s best circuit, and even though we’re still only four race weekends into what is now a 22-round season, the next race in Montreal later this month looks to be a crucial one for the 28-year-old. It’s still early in the season, but Russell cannot allow Antonelli to build up a much larger head of steam.

And he’ll no longer be able to use the circuit as an excuse. Russell was the only driver other than the two McLaren racers and Max Verstappen to win last year, and the first of his two victories came in Canada. But it was also a landmark weekend for Antonelli who, in the midst of a difficult start to the European season, found solace back in North America by recording his first F1 podium.

Both will be desperate to win this time, though things will be complicated further by the emergence of competition once again. McLaren in particular were a match in Miami and ended Mercedes‘ winning run with Norris’ Sprint victory, while Verstappen looked stronger in an upgraded Red Bull.

For all their early-season promise, Ferrari are still hampered by their engines on the straights and the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve has a few long ones. Their tyre degradation in Miami on Sunday also caught Charles Leclerc in particular by surprise and they will need to get on top of that.

It’s certainly no longer about just first and second for Mercedes, though. And Russell could lose plenty of ground if, like in Miami, a few cars finish between him and his team-mate. There’s one sure-fire way to prevent than happening: Make sure you’re the lead Silver Arrow on track. And that has to start happening again for the Brit in Montreal.