Wolff said Russell was getting used to the Antonelli challenge

In an interview with Sky Sports F1, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said George Russell was getting used to the challenge of beating Kimi Antonelli. Wolff described the adjustment as difficult for Russell; by 6 October, the Briton trailed Antonelli by 66 points after beginning 2026 as Mercedes' expected title challenger.

At that point, Antonelli had 302 points and eight wins; Russell was second on 236, with three victories. That reversed the picture from 2025, when Antonelli made his debut and often had to concede the upper hand to Russell.

Wolff said Russell was sometimes down and that the situation was hard to handle, particularly when Antonelli seemed to make everything come easily. He called the Italian a natural talent who wins over the public with ease, and said 2026 was the season in which Russell had to perform as a title contender.

Wolff said Russell understood in theory that a team-mate would be competitive, but Antonelli's actual level still came as a surprise. He described the recognition of that challenge as a gradual, shared realization at Mercedes.