Lando Norris believes that George Russell is currently facing one of the most delicate moments of his Formula 1 season. With a sizable gap to his teammate, Kimi Antonelli, in the standings, the Mercedes driver must find the best way to respond in order to remain in the title fight.
The situation drew particular attention because Russell began 2026 tipped as one of the championship favorites, yet his teammate stepped into the spotlight. Antonelli won five of the first seven races of the year and opened a 50-point lead in the driver standings.
Norris knows a similar scenario well. The current F1 champion recalled that last season he was quite far behind Oscar Piastri after the summer break and chose to adopt a pressure-free approach for the closing part of the campaign, a strategy that ultimately culminated in the title clincher at the decisive Abu Dhabi round.
However, the McLaren driver believes the same approach might not necessarily work for Russell: “It certainly made a difference. But everyone thinks in a different way. I’ve always placed a lot of pressure on myself. I don’t know if George does that, if he feels that pressure or not,” he stated.
The British racer emphasized that the circumstances faced by the two drivers are distinct: “Last year I moved from a phase of low confidence to thinking: ‘What do I have to lose now?’. He exited a period of considerable confidence and perhaps is losing a portion of that. Each driver must find his own path. There is no one-size-fits-all solution.”
Norris also highlighted how tough it is to manage this kind of pressure when a title is on the line: “It’s hard to know exactly what to do. Do you put more pressure on yourself? Or do you try not to feel any pressure?” he questioned.
Another factor pointed out by the reigning champion is Antonelli’s form. In his second season in Formula 1, the Italian took the lead in the standings after a significant improvement compared to his rookie year, something Norris said surprised many in the paddock.
“There are plenty of considerations when someone says you’re a title contender. On top of that, he has a teammate performing unbelievably well, probably better than most expected. There is the pressure of facing someone who isn’t making mistakes and who continually challenges you. And then you still have the challenge of extracting the maximum from yourself,” Norris concluded.
