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Juan Pablo Montoya thinks George Russell has ‘given up’ at the Miami Grand Prix after being out-qualified by Kimi Antonelli for the third consecutive race of the 2026 F1 season.
After a difficult Sprint race that saw him suffer another poor start, get slammed by Charles Leclerc over the Ferrari team radio, and be handed a five-second time penalty after the chequered flag, Kimi Antonelli put it all behind him to take pole position for the Grand Prix.
It marks the third consecutive front-of-the-pack start for the young Italian in the 2026 F1 season, and another step forward in his prospective title fight with George Russell.
- READ MORE: Kimi Antonelli beats Max Verstappen to Miami Grand Prix pole as George Russell fails to perform
The Briton has seemingly been off the pace since he arrived in Miami, with his post-Sprint comments catching the ears of Juan Pablo Montoya, who has shared his dismay over Russell’s mentality.
After Antonelli finished ahead of his counterpart on track, only to be demoted to P6 following his five-second penalty for exceeding track limits, Russell outlined his disdain for the Miami International Autodrome.
Four different teams in the top spots in qualifying for the Miami GP… But who’s taking the win? 🏆
Let us know in the comments below!
“It’s a track I’ve never really liked in terms of how you have to drive the cars,” he told journalists via The Express. “It’s one I struggle at – it’s definitely one my team-mate excels at.
“Sometimes you have to accept that’s the case and maximise the points. I don’t think I could have achieved more than the result I got today.”
- READ MORE: Juan Pablo Montoya questions if George Russell can ‘recover’ if Kimi Antonelli wins Miami Grand Prix
Juan Pablo Montoya thinks George Russell has ‘given up’ after Kimi Antonelli admission in Miami
During F1TV’s post-qualifying show at the Miami Grand Prix, Montoya shared his thoughts on Russell’s frank admission.
The Colombian began by lauding Antonelli’s turnaround from the Sprint to qualifying, noting that he had actually lost faith in the young Italian securing a good result following his troublesome race on Saturday morning.
“I lost faith, to be honest with you, as everybody else did,” Montoya told co-hosts James Hinchcliffe and Jolyon Palmer, before adding, “But he came through.
“And I’ll tell you, if you look at how much of the track he’s using, he’s the only guy that gets into the paint on the entries. If he gets it wrong, it’s going to be ugly and big. But he’s just pushing further than everybody else.
Kimi Antonelli delivers when it counts 👏 But Verstappen right behind him? This isn’t over yet 👀
Read the full report from Miami Qualifying below 👇
“Mercedes did a hell of a job. We said that Mercedes needs to really step up, and their deployment was better, their driving was better, and the car finally looked in place.
“If you look at the car this morning and yesterday, every time they went to put the power down, it was sideways. It’s like the drivers were not comfortable, but the cars looked comfortable today.”
Montoya then got onto the topic of Antonelli’s vastly more experienced counterpart and issued a damning verdict on the rest of Russell’s weekend.
“George, he doesn’t like this place,” the seven-time Grand Prix winner said. “And I think mentally, George has given up on this weekend.
“In his mind, he’s saying, ‘Kimi is way better here. I just need to settle, take some points and be quiet.’ Is he pushing? Yes, but mentally, he’s already been beaten.”
- READ MORE: Jenson Button says Kimi Antonelli’s ‘silly’ Miami Sprint ‘mistake’ cost him dearly to George Russell
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