Lando Norris
McLaren
Mercedes
Red Bull
Ferrari
Williams
Racing Bulls
Aston Martin
Haas
Alpine
George Russell must take stock of what Charles Leclerc did behind-the-scenes at Ferrari to finally beat Lewis Hamilton if the Mercedes star has any hope of winning the 2026 F1 drivers’ championship.
Following months of being in the shadow of his once inferior teammate, Charles Leclerc finally got the better of Lewis Hamilton again at the latter’s home race last time out.
After starting the British GP race weekend off on the back foot, Leclerc went back to the drawing board and sifted through hours worth of data to aid his setup choice for the rest of his stay at Silverstone.
Drop your podium prediction for the Belgian Grand Prix 👇
The Monegasque driver then put his Ferrari SF-26 on the front row for the Grand Prix, before producing a stellar drive to secure his first trip to the top step of the podium in the current campaign.
Now, in order to shift momentum away from Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli in the 2026 title fight, George Russell must do exactly the same thing.
- READ MORE: Toto Wolff’s admission on George Russell’s Silverstone ‘data’ should trigger alarm bells at Mercedes
George Russell’s British GP data shows exactly where Kimi Antonelli is finding time over him
A report from F1 journalist Mark Hughes via The Race has shed light on where Russell was losing out to his vastly less experienced teammate during qualifying at the British Grand Prix – a session in which Antonelli ended as pole-sitter for the ensuing race.
How has the British Grand Prix changed your outlook on the F1 title race?
Of course, Russell went on to secure a P2 finish while Antonelli was classified in P15, but the Italian’s pace was much stronger than his teammate’s before disaster struck and aero damage scuppered his late charge.
The report highlights a number of occasions in which Russell lost time by braking earlier than his counterpart, resulting in a lower minimum speed at the apex and a weaker exit. All in all, Russell spent 11% of his best effort in qualifying on the brakes, while Antonelli spent just 9%.
The minimum speed issue isn’t just something that affected Russell during the corners, either. Because he is carrying less momentum through the corners, it means his battery has to work even harder to accelerate the car.
In turn, Russell suffered from a lack of power towards the end of the straights, with Antonelli enjoying a 3mph advantage at the end of the Hangar Straight at Silverstone. A minor numerical difference, but one that totalled up to somewhere around 0.157s of lap time.
It’s clear that a lack of confidence in the car underneath him can be attributed to his deficits, but Leclerc has proved that taking part in some extra-curricular data analysis could do wonders for both his confidence and performance out on track.
Next up is the Belgian Grand Prix, where Russell will be hoping to eat into Antonelli’s advantage at the top of the F1 standings even further, while the Italian will be looking to do the opposite.
Receive exclusive F1 news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
