‘Invisible’ George Russell used F1’s ‘worst’ excuse after Kimi Antonelli defeat in Miami

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George Russell is proving to be second-best to Kimi Antonelli right now, and he has the wrong mindset for the championship battle, as his comments in Miami proved.

It is still early days in 2026, but the driver once tipped as the clear favourite for the championship is now being shown up by his younger teammate. Since winning the season opener in Melbourne, Russell has only stood on the podium once.

In the meantime, Antonelli has taken pole position and won the last three races, giving him a 20-point lead over his Mercedes teammate. The momentum has shifted into the Italian’s favour, and Russell is struggling to keep up.

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Russell insists that he is not underestimating Antonelli and has the confidence to turn things around. But the Brit is not finding the right balance from the W17 right now, with him being off the pace of his teammate all weekend at the Miami Grand Prix.

In fact, he was almost four tenths behind Antonelli in qualifying and was 43 seconds adrift at the chequered flag as he came home to finish P4.

Karun Chandhok says Russell has Oscar Piastri’s weakness that he showed in his battle with Lando Norris last year, as he hates low-grip circuits and the car sliding. It is a factor in the Aussie losing the title in 2025, but for Russell, this is not something he can lie down and accept.

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George Russell said Miami does not suit his driving style – it is the ‘worst’ excuse against Kimi Antonelli

Russell is not a big fan of the Miami circuit, saying after the race that it does not suit his driving style. Granted, that may well be the case, but as Robert Doornbos rightly says, it is the ‘worst’ possible thing he could have said.

The former F1 driver noted on The Pit Talk Podcast that there are other low-grip circuits on the calendar, and they will not be suited to Russell.

“To be honest, he was invisible this weekend,” he said. “And then when he was visible, he came out with a quote which is the worst quote you can make, by saying, ‘These type of circuits don’t really suit my driving style.’

“And then he’s talking about low grip surfaces. So, another low grip could be Singapore, can be Baku, can be perhaps a little bit Las Vegas.

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“I mean, what are you saying? That you’re going to give away another four or five weekends to your teammate who’s destroying you at the moment?

“No. He should have been out there and said, ‘I’m disappointed. I didn’t find the right balance, but I’ll get back on top of my game.’ No, he was a bit invisible this week.”

Low-grip circuits will be something that Russell will simply have to overcome. He cannot just use it as an excuse for poor performance, especially when Antonelli is on a record-breaking run of form.

The Italian beat his teammate fair and square in Miami, and with Russell’s mentality, Antonelli will do so again at those kinds of circuits. The Brit needs to get his head down and take the fight to his teammate at all circuits if he is serious about a title charge.

James Hinchcliffe says Russell cannot use excuses for his issues. Antonelli is finding that performance from the same machine, and he has to do the same or risk losing quite possibly the only chance he may get to become a world champion.