Very delicate moment for the English driver
From the perspective of winning the first world title in his career to having to chase at -59 points with a partial disadvantage in terms of wins of 6 to 2: welcome to the mind of George Russell, who expected everything from this 2026 except such a dramatic scenario in sporting terms.
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Andrea Kimi Antonelli is outclassing his teammate, who according to Johnny Herbert is inevitably going through a very delicate psychological moment.
“I believe the consistency that Kimi Antonelli is capable of is definitely bothering George Russell – said Herbert reached by Casinostugan – it seems that every time he gets in the car he takes a big hit. I know it hasn’t been a perfect season for him. I know maybe luck hasn’t been on his side, which is part of the game. This must be wearing him down, because everyone, including me, said this year would be George’s year. But it didn’t go that way. Then there are the rumors about Max Verstappen, which certainly don’t help his state of mind. He will be well aware that his seat is at risk, given that he has a one-year contract.”
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“Stability and confidence are always what a driver desires – added Herbert – and probably in this case they have not been entirely present. But this is the challenge that must be faced. Sometimes you always have to prove your worth and I believe George is exactly in this situation. He is always on track, forced to prove his worth. And the only way to silence those rumors or get the contract signed is to become the dominant force within the team. And unfortunately, that is not quite the case. When you look at Kimi’s face now, you notice that kind of inner confidence that begins to show and that everyone sees and feels. Probably it is quite demoralizing for George to realize that, even thinking he did a great lap, the small screen on his dashboard shows him that he still hasn’t managed to close that gap.”
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