George Russell is falling behind in the 2026 F1 title race and needs to turn things around soon, with Will Buxton now suggesting that the mind games have started between him and Kimi Antonelli.
Antonelli’s win in Montreal has opened up a 43-point gap at the top of the standings, and Russell’s retirement from that race was a major blow to his title hopes.
The Italian is now on a run of four straight wins, putting him just two away from matching Russell’s career total. With each race, the pressure on both drivers is only going to grow.
Back in pre-season, Russell didn’t even see Antonelli as a real threat for the championship. But that’s changed now. After Canada, some of Russell’s comments hinted that things are starting to heat up between Mercedes’ lead pair.
Will Buxton spots early signs of psychological battles at Mercedes
Will Buxton pointed to one of Russell’s remarks after the Montreal Grand Prix on the Up To Speed podcast, as a clear sign that the psychological battles have already started between the two Mercedes teammates.
Russell, speaking to reporters, said that the title is now Antonelli’s to lose and emphasised that the pressure is no longer on him.
“I think his comments post-Canada suggest that the pressure’s off him and he’s got nothing to lose now, and all of that is a little mind-gamey,” said Buxton.
“He’s trying to put the pressure on Kimi, and trying to take it off himself. But whether he can drive with that freedom remains to be seen.”
After claiming his first F1 win at the Chinese Grand Prix earlier in the year, Antonelli said he was ready for any mental tactics Russell might employ. However, handling such pressures over a full season is a different challenge altogether.
The Monaco Grand Prix may serve as an early test of his mental resilience. The circuit requires total focus due to its narrow layout and unforgiving barriers, making it one of the most demanding races on the calendar.
Buxton notes that Antonelli still has plenty to prove in Monaco
According to Buxton, the 19-year-old still needs to show what he can do around Monaco. He pointed to Max Verstappen’s early struggles with the barriers there as an example of how quickly things can go wrong.
“Kimi, we love how he races,” Buxton added. “We love his youthful exuberance and the extremes that he can go to. And that can look a little wild. So whether he can tame that around Monaco’s streets will be fascinating to see.
“People always said that Max was quite a wild driver and quite lurid, and he tamed Monaco, but not before he’d had some pretty big shunts at Monaco.”
If Antonelli struggles again this year, it could hand the momentum back over to Russell in their title fight.
Read more:
