Kimi Antonelli admits George Russell still holds one massive advantage over him
Let’s not sugarcoat it: George Russell had an incredibly tough 2026 campaign. With a magnet-like attraction to bad luck, the Briton spent a massive chunk of the season watching his 20-year-old team-mate storm away with the world drivers' championship. But if you think that means Kimi Antonelli is treating the other side of the garage like chopped liver, you don't understand how Formula 1 ... Keep…
Kimi Antonelli, the newly crowned F1 world champion, has admitted that George Russell still holds a significant advantage over him, particularly in the area of qualifying performance. Despite his recent victory, Antonelli has been scrutinizing his own shortcomings throughout his rookie season, particularly in relation to Russell's impressive ability to extract maximum lap times in qualifying sessions.
Russell's "Mr. Saturday" reputation remains a potent weapon, and Antonelli is actively studying Russell's data to understand how he achieves such exceptional qualifying times. The young driver acknowledges that while he has demonstrated strong racecraft and tire management, he is still trying to emulate Russell's consistent transition from practice to qualifying, where the pressure to maintain track position becomes immense.
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