George Russell calls 25-point title gap ‘reasonable’ after Kimi Antonelli’s luck shift

George Russell calls 25-point title gap ‘reasonable’ after Kimi Antonelli’s luck shift

On 18 June 2026 at Silverstone, George Russell said the 25-point gap to championship leader Kimi Antonelli is reasonable after a season of contrasting fortunes.

What happened?

After scoring zero points at the Silverstone Grand Prix, Antonelli’s lead over Russell now stands at 25 points. Russell, who was the pre-season favourite, suffered early technical issues, poor safety-car timing and questionable penalties. Antonelli, meanwhile, has dropped points in three of the last five races despite strong starts.

Why it matters for George Russell

Russell admitted the gap feels fair given his early-season struggles. “After the bad luck I had at the start, this is a reasonable margin,” he said. His Monaco race was particularly costly: he led before a penalty forced an extra stop. Barcelona and Silverstone also cost him potential podiums.

Antonelli, 19, agreed both drivers have been unlucky. He pointed to Barcelona’s second-place finish and Silverstone’s missed chance. “We were both unlucky,” he said. “For one of us, it happened at more critical moments.” Both drivers have lost points in the Constructors’ Championship.

Where reliability bites

Antonelli singled out Mercedes’ reliability issues. “Ferrari is very strong in this area,” he said. “We have to make sure it doesn’t happen again.” The team is working to fix the problem ahead of the next race.

What comes next?

Antonelli stressed the title fight remains open. “We’ve both dropped a lot of points,” he said. “As drivers, all we can do is try our best and make the most of every opportunity.” Russell echoed the call for consistency as the season heads to Spa-Francorchamps.