George Russell remains confident in his own abilities in the title fight, despite a difficult weekend in Miami, where he was outperformed by teammate Kimi Antonelli for the third time in a row. The Brit started the season strong with wins in Australia and the sprint race in China, but had to watch in recent races as the young Italian gradually took over the role of title favorite.
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In Miami, the difference between the two Mercedes drivers became painfully clear. Antonelli took pole position and drove unchallenged to victory, while Russell finished fourth at a wide distance, 43 seconds behind his teammate. This allowed Antonelli to extend his lead in the championship; the gap after four races is already twenty points.
‘The real test is yet to come’
Yet Russell refuses to doubt his own level. “He (Antonelli, ed.) is a fantastic driver and has been exceptionally fast from day one,” he said to Sky Sports. “He has won all championships as a young driver. I still have confidence in myself and I have experienced this before – it’s not like I’ve forgotten how to drive. It’s just a bit of a tough period, but we’ve only had four races so far. There is still a long way to go and I think we will review things again in the coming weeks.”
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The race in Miami also went more difficult than hoped, partly due to the characteristics of the circuit. “A tough race,” said Russell about his own performance. “The start felt okay. In the first laps I was involved in the fight, but on the hard tires I was nowhere anymore. Only in the last ten laps could I still get something out and we were much more competitive. I made some significant changes to my differentials and brake balance, which brought me much closer to Antonelli,” the Brit explained. In summary: “It was not a good weekend, but I also know that I find this a very difficult circuit. The real test comes in a few races.”
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