Benson: Antonelli’s consistency has set him apart from Russell

Kimi Antonelli’s victory in the United States Grand Prix put him within reach of the 2026 Formula 1 title: he leads Mercedes team-mate George Russell by 123 points and can clinch in Mexico City on Sunday by finishing ninth or higher. After Sunday’s race in Austin, BBC F1 correspondent Andrew Benson said the Mercedes alone does not explain Antonelli’s advantage, pointing to the Italian’s consistency and standout performances at Monaco, Monza and Austin.

Benson acknowledges that Mercedes has, on average, been the season’s best car. He also notes that luck played a part in some of Antonelli’s wins, with safety cars in Japan and Madrid among the examples. Even so, he says Antonelli was the only Mercedes driver to remain a consistent factor across the season. Antonelli has won nine races this year, against three for Russell.

Russell has acknowledged that Antonelli performed better this year, Benson says. He has also cited driving-style fit to explain his own struggles: Russell says the previous cars suited him better, while the new ones suit Antonelli. In Austin, team principal Toto Wolff said Russell struggled to find the right set-up with Mercedes’ new upgrade package, which had been problematic since its introduction in Malaysia. Wolff defended Russell’s pace, saying he was not three tenths slower than Antonelli and that Mercedes needed to work out what changes might help him.

Benson says driving style and set-up can leave a driver struggling in some circumstances. His counterpoint is that the very best—Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso among them—tend to find a way to perform at the top regardless of how a car behaves. He sees the potential for Antonelli to reach that standard in only his second season. If Antonelli does, Benson says, Russell will have his work cut out to beat him consistently. Benson’s conclusion is that Russell must regroup over the winter and show next year that he can get back to Antonelli’s level.