Has Luck Brought George Russell So Close to Kimi Antonelli?

Pulse Sports Team 11:10 - 14 July 2026

Former Formula 1 driver Jolyon Palmer has sent a direct message to George Russell, asserting that the Briton is "lucky" to be so close to Kimi Antonelli in the drivers' championship battle.

Ahead of this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix, Russell trails his Mercedes teammate by 25 points, meaning he could theoretically draw level at Spa.

This comes despite Antonelli having secured five race wins compared to Russell's two, with the 19-year-old Italian consistently proving to be the faster of the two this season.

However, Antonelli has also suffered several setbacks beyond his control, including a battery failure in Barcelona and a wheel nut issue at Silverstone. In both incidents, he was running in second position, costing him at least 36 points.

So far this season, Russell hasn't displayed the same winning instinct as his younger teammate, which Palmer believes is reminiscent of last year's title fight. Back then, Oscar Piastri dominated the first half of the season, much like Antonelli now, before faltering as Lando Norris hit a strong run of form.

According to Palmer, a similar turnaround cannot be ruled out, but Russell needs to deliver more performances like the one that brought him victory in Australia.

Discussing Russell's title chances, Palmer stated on the F1 Nation podcast: "He's lucky to be only 25 points behind him right now, given his performance level. But the example is from last year: Lando found pace towards the end of the season, had a series of strong races, and Oscar's form wasn't sustainable. I think that's the threat to Kimi."

"He's obviously been unlucky. As a driver, you expect these things to balance out over the course of a season, and for Mercedes, they've already balanced out. If his car keeps breaking down, he might not win the championship, but that's out of his control."

"So for me, it all comes down to Russell finding his form and delivering more of those 'Melbourne-style' performances, where he once again looked like the old George Russell."