{
  "id": 13907291,
  "title": "George Russell calls Red Bull \"the team to beat\" in F1, but Kimi Antonelli adds a key caveat",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/george-russell-calls-red-bull-the-team-to-beat-in-f1-but-kimi",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-12T08:17:13.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Motorsport.com",
    "slug": "motorsport-com",
    "url": "https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/george-russell-calls-red-bull-the-team-to-beat-in-f1-but-kimi-antonelli-adds-a-key-caveat/10864572/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "George Russell regards Red Bull as the team to beat in Formula 1, according to recent performances at the Asian triple-header. Max Verstappen, driving for Red Bull, finished just 0.196 seconds behind Russell in Baku, subsequently winning in Malaysia and Singapore. However, Kimi Antonelli, Russell's Mercedes teammate, added a key caveat to this assessment. While acknowledging Red Bull's significant upgrades, Antonelli believes the team is still not unlocking the full potential of the new package. The window in which the upgrade can be maximized is narrow and highly sensitive to driving style and cornering techniques. Mercedes' performance improvements, though promising, have yet to materialize on track, leading Antonelli to focus on refining the car's setup during the upcoming United States Grand Prix at Austin, where the team aims to extract maximum potential from the new upgrade.",
  "summary": "Formula 1’s Asian triple-header has gone particularly well for Max Verstappen. The Red Bull driver finished 0.196 seconds behind Russell in Baku before going on to claim convincing victories in Malaysia and Singapore. On both sides of the equation – at Red Bull and Mercedes – this is linked to major upgrades introduced during the recent triple-header. Red Bull brought its final major ... Keep…",
  "key_points": [
    "George Russell considers Red Bull the team to beat in F1.",
    "Max Verstappen finished just 0.196 seconds behind Russell in Baku.",
    "Kimi Antonelli cautions Red Bull hasn't unlocked full potential yet."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}