(Motorsport-Total.com) – In the World Championship battle, George Russell is 20 points behind Kimi Antonelli after the Miami Grand Prix. Accordingly, the question arises as to how the duel between the experienced Brit and the rising Italian will continue.
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In Miami, Russell was outperformed by his teammate throughout the weekend. “I think George was on the wrong foot here because the asphalt is so smooth and it was never a good race for him,” said Toto Wolff’s assessment on Sky Deutschland.
Furthermore, the Mercedes team principal emphasizes: “I am convinced that next time we will look completely different. But Kimi has really gotten into his driving now and you can see he makes fewer mistakes.”
The counter-question from Sky expert Timo Glock, whether an experienced man like Russell can afford such mistakes in the World Championship fight, is answered by Wolff as follows: “There will always be races where you are stronger once and weaker another time. And it can swing back just as quickly in the other direction. So they are both really good. I am happy that we have both of them in the team.”
No Giving Up for Russell
In response to Simon Lazenby’s question about the points difference between Antonelli and Russell, Wolff’s answer on Sky UK is: “George is a killer, okay? What distinguishes him is that he never gives up and always attacks. I have known him since the junior formula series, and he has the title in his sights. He will leave no stone unturned. I have no doubt that the two will fight for points for the rest of the season.”
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For Russell, Miami is not a very rosy chapter in the 2026 season: “It was just a difficult race,” is his assessment on Sky UK.
Russell emphasizes important progress in the last ten laps of the race: “We made big changes to the differential and brake balance. That was much closer to the setup Kimi used all weekend. That made a big difference, but as I said, it was not a good weekend.”
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In the end, Russell was able to secure fourth place. Timo Glock also talks about the Mercedes differential in his analysis for Sky Deutschland:
“Well, I always assume that basically the same setup was used. Not much different now, because the car mainly works in a window. And if I am a step behind all weekend and realize that my teammate is running a different differential setting, then I have to try that after Friday or Saturday.”
“And just try if it might be better. But not wait until Sunday in the race for the last 10 laps. So I don’t understand this approach, because you know exactly what the other is doing, you have the insight. So you have to act earlier on George Russell’s side if I am four tenths slower on average.”
The differential is explained by Timo Glock on Sky as follows: “That is the locking of the rear axle, so how the two wheels drive.
“Either equally, more locking means both wheels drive equally. Or I run the differential a bit more open, then the wheels turn a bit differently from each other. And that either helps you to get a bit more rotation into the car, or also stability. And as a driver, you can play around with that via the steering wheel.”
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