George Russell urged to rediscover "flow state" in F1 title chase
Rob Smedley believes George Russell must stop overthinking his 2026 title challenge and rediscover his natural rhythm to close the gap to Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli
Former Formula 1 engineer Rob Smedley has suggested that Mercedes driver George Russell is "overthinking" his title pursuit for the 2026 season, urging him to reclaim his "flow state" as Kimi Antonelli widens the points gap between them. On a recent High Performance Racing podcast, Smedley discussed the widening divide between Russell and his team-mate, as well as the internal dynamics within Mercedes.
"You've got to be in a flow state, right? This is where Kimi is right now. Kimi is in a flow state, and he's just doing it very, very naturally. When he gets in the car, he delivers, doesn't overthink. Therefore, he doesn't overdrive, and it's just happening for him," Smedley stated. He further emphasized that overthinking can only hinder Russell's performance.
"You can't be overthinking it. And if I observe George from the outside and listen to what's going on as well, I think that he is overthinking it, quite frankly. George Russell, Mercedes George Russell, Mercedes," Smedley continued. Despite winning the season opener and Chinese sprint race, Russell had initially been considered a frontrunner for the championship.
However, Antonelli's impressive performance and some setbacks for Russell have widened the points gap, with Antonelli leading the championship with 219 points, Hamilton second with 169 points, and Russell in third with 160 points.
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