George Russell: Mercedes driver's losses to Kimi Antonelli will feel 'painful' says Nico Rosberg as driver backed for breakthrough

15 September 2026, 08:32 | Updated: 15 September 2026, 14:14

Nico Rosberg believes George Russell will currently be driven by a similar level of "insane motivation" to turn the tables on Kimi Antonelli as he was to get the better of Lewis Hamilton after recurring defeats.

Russell's hopes of becoming world champion for the first time this year are increasingly slim with in-form Mercedes team-mate Antonelli opening an 81-point lead over him at the top of the standings.

Since winning March's season-opening Australian Grand Prix, pre-season title favourite Russell has only twice finished ahead of Antonelli in the last 10 races they have both completed with the Briton seeing the young Italian take his seventh and eighth wins of the season across the Monza-Madrid double header.

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