Kimi Antonelli shrugs off George Russell’s mind games: I’m still the underdog

Kimi Antonelli has given his own assessment after George Russell said the Italian's huge Formula 1 world championship lead meant the title was "his to lose". However, Antonelli has insisted he will not get dragged into mind games.

Russell made the claim heading into the Monaco Grand Prix weekend, with many thinking it to be the first mind game between the Mercedes teammates who look set to battle for the title in 2026.

Antonelli’s response was a dominant victory – plus pole, leading every lap and the fastest lap to become the youngest F1 driver to complete a grand slam – but after initially dismissing the comment, it was a dominant victory, and coupled with Russell’s penalty-laden run to 12th the gap between the two has grown to 68 points. Big enough for Lewis Hamilton to move into second place in the standings, 66 points behind the Italian 19-year-old.

Antonelli brushed off Russell’s remarks during the Monaco GP weekend, saying it was too early to think about the title fight with at least 16 rounds left after Monaco, but found a way to deliver his own retort within the mind games.

“It’s not the first time we’ve played mind games. 'People always try to put the pressure on their opponent, whether that is an outside rival or a team-mate - it is not a great deal of difference. Luckily those things don’t really matter to me,” Antonelli told Motorsport.com.We’re just a third of the way through the season and I think it’s way too early for talk of a title showdown. Race-by-race.

"Of course at the end of each weekend I take a look at the standings but immediately afterwards my focus is already on the next race. When I put the visor down and go out on track I’m not thinking about the championship. I rush to do the best job I can. “And like I said I haven’t won anything so I don’t have anything to lose.”

It’s not a new approach to the season, race to race, but interesting that Antonelli considers himself an underdog to Russell despite a healthy championship lead, admittedly with so many races remaining.

Whether it is a preordained mindset or something he genuinely believes right now but his words on why Russell should be the one to be considered the favourite is a barb that has been planted.

“The objective is to win as many races as we can and, in turn, the championship. “I’m aware that opportunities like this don’t come around very often but at the same time I’m still the underdog and that’s a position I don’t mind,” Antonelli said.

“Before the season started, everyone looked at George as the obvious favorite and I think that prediction was right. He has the full package to fight for the title, including the experience.”

Antonelli threw in another twist to his title fight comments by raising a point nobody, not even the Italian, can really quantify yet and that is his full potential.

The rate and time to improve of the Mercedes protege is both significant and unknown, his meteoric rise from karting to the junior single-seaters and then from rookie to championship leader in F1.

“I think I can get better in a lot of areas” Antonelli explained. "Of course these victories have given me a lot of confidence but at the same time I know I have to keep working hard to fulfil my full potential. And that’s exactly what drives me.

I don't think many people expected a start to the season like this but this is only my second year in Formula 1.

“Maybe that coupled with being young makes some people think there’s still a lot of room for improvement. Perhaps that’s why George sees me as an especially dangerous rival in the battle for the world championship.”

Antonelli may have hit a nerve there. Whatever happens in the next few races, Russell will have to worry about his full potential given the rate at which he is breaking F1 records as a teenager.