George Russell endured a difficult 2026 season plagued by misfortune while watching his 20-year-old Mercedes teammate claim the world drivers’ championship. Despite capturing the ultimate title, Kimi Antonelli acknowledges that his teammate still maintains a major advantage when it comes to single-lap pace.
Learning the Qualifying Rhythms
Speaking on the Nu Silver Arrows Radio Show as reported by Motorsport.com, Antonelli addressed his own weaknesses by praising Russell’s one-lap ability and explaining that he continues to study the veteran driver’s data. Antonelli stated that Russell is an incredible and fast driver, particularly in qualifying, noting his admiration for how quickly Russell finds a rhythm, builds lap time, and puts together an amazing lap.
Track position remains crucial in modern Formula 1 as the grid narrowed significantly toward the end of the 2026 campaign, with five drivers separated by just two-tenths of a second in Mexico. Mistakes in Q3 heavily compromise Sunday race results due to dirty air. Although Antonelli demonstrated strong race craft and tyre management throughout Sundays, he confessed that Russell’s knack for jumping from practice sessions into an untouchable qualifying pace is a challenge he has yet to master.
Antonelli explained to Motorsport.com that he is still actively trying to learn how Russell manages to find that extra step of performance from practice sessions onward. Noting that Russell excels in this area, the Italian driver admitted he has spent the season trying to figure out how to extract more single-lap performance.
Capturing the championship has not diminished Antonelli’s desire for improvement as he prepares for 2027 by treating Russell’s qualifying traces as essential study material. Antonelli concluded that he intends to learn even more from his teammate to understand how Russell squeezes maximum performance out of both himself and the car during qualifying sessions.
