George Russell believes he and Kimi Antonelli are not being ‘punished’ for their ‘mistakes’

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George Russell has admitted that he and Kimi Antonelli are currently not being ‘punished’ for their ‘mistakes’. 

Russell and Antonelli have dominated the 2026 Formula 1 season, with the Brit winning in Australia before the Italian teenager secured victories in China and Japan.

As a result, Mercedes have a comfortable 45-point lead over second-placed Ferrari heading into next weekend’s Miami Grand Prix.

It is well documented that Mercedes have a far superior power unit compared to the rest of the grid, hence why they have been able to produce such commanding performances.

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George Russell admits he and Kimi Antonelli are not being punished for their mistakes

Appearing on the latest episode of the BBC’s Chequered Flag podcast, Russell admitted that Mercedes’ current advantage means that he and Antonelli can afford to make mistakes without being punished.

When asked about his title fight with Antonelli, Russell said: “At the moment, we’re just battling against one another.

“Last year, if you qualified a couple of 10ths behind one another, there were probably four or five cars in between.

“If you made a bad start, you couldn’t just make your way back up to the front like we’re doing at the moment. So we were punished for our mistakes. This year, so far, we’re not really getting punished for our mistakes.”

READ MORE: George Russell clarifies Mercedes contract clause that is putting him at ease about Max Verstappen

George Russell welcomes extra competition amid title fight with Kimi Antonelli

Russell will know he is in a tough battle with teammate Antonelli for the world championship, but he has admitted that he is enjoying the fight and welcomes more competition

When asked if he wished Max Verstappen were in the title fight, Russell said: “Yeah, I do. And Lewis (Hamilton). I’ve got to be honest. I do love the competition. It just keeps it exciting.

“I love winning when there is massive competition. And that’s like every day of life. I want my competitor to be given everything because I want to be able to… I want to beat them knowing they’ve given it their all. And that’s what drives me. So my view is the more the merrier.”

After a month-long break, F1 will return next week with the Miami Grand Prix, where Russell will be looking to close the current nine-point gap between himself and Antonelli.