F1 insiders say George Russell is a shell of his former self amid title fight ‘pressure’

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George Russell looks visibly ‘stressed’ as he fights for the F1 world championship for the first time in his career, according to insiders. Russell is nine points behind Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli after three races.

Russell converted pole position at the season opener in Australia but Antonelli claimed his maiden victory in China and followed it up with another in Japan. It looks as if it will be an intra-team battle for the title given Mercedes’ advantage, though McLaren and Ferrari could yet be a factor.

Russell has finished between fourth and eighth in the standings in each of his first four seasons at Mercedes. Michael Schumacher didn’t win a title at Ferrari until his fifth year, a comparison Russell has made several times.

Is George Russell RUTHLESS enough to win an F1 title?

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George Russell has lost his ‘bravado’ in F1 title race

‘Multiple sources in the paddock’ have told RacingNews365 that Russell looks like a shell of his former self. He has lost his ‘typical bravado’ amid the unfamiliar ‘pressure’ of fighting for a championship.

It’s said that Russell, who usually looks so ‘calm’, is now characterised by ‘stress and uncertainty’. He has faced an ‘unexpected’ threat from Antonelli, a driver he comfortably dispatched last season.

• READ MORE: James Hinchcliffe says George Russell must be more ‘cut-throat’ with Kimi Antonelli at Mercedes

Antonelli has already outqualified Russell twice this season, having done so three times in the entirety of 2025. He only finished ahead in three races, which is why the gap in the standings was so big (169 points).

The Italian is now showing signs of a second-year leap that will be difficult to contain. Russell’s frustration was palpable on the radio during the Japanese GP as he slipped behind his teammate in the standings.

Former team Williams didn’t ‘love’ working with Russell, and one suspects he’s demanding more from his Mercedes colleagues than ever this year given the opportunity before him.

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Russell should ignore the external noise. He would likely have been on pole in China were it not for an on-track stoppage in Q3 that limited him to one lap.

And in Japan, he was ahead of Antonelli on the road before a safety car worked against him and played perfectly into his teammate’s hands.

The teenager showed formidable speed in both races, which suggests that the internal battle will at least be competitive. But still, there’s every reason to believe Russell will be too strong for Antonelli across a full season.

The title fight between the two McLaren drivers last year was entertaining (even before Max Verstappen got involved) because they were so closely matched, but that may not be the case at Mercedes.

As such, there will be many outsiders who want Russell to struggle this year to make the championship picture more exciting. The 28-year-old must learn to deal with that, and the rest of the scrutiny that comes with chasing the top prize.