'Championship Is Not Even On My Mind': Mercedes' George Russell Says Montreal 'Just Another Race'

George Russell insisted there was no reason for concern heading into this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix, despite Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli arriving in Montreal on the back of three consecutive Formula One victories. The British driver, who sits 20 points behind the teenage championship leader, said the title race was far from being a priority at this stage of the season.

“It’s just another race for me, and the championship is not even on my mind,” Russell told reporters on Thursday. “There’s no need to panic at all. As we said, we’re four races down, with at least 18 to go.”

Mercedes arrive at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve with their first significant upgrade package of the year, after rivals McLaren and Ferrari introduced developments

earlier in Miami. Russell said the early signs were encouraging, although the team would only understand the true impact once the car was on track.

“Our numbers look pretty promising,” he said of the upgrade. “But until we drive it on track, there are always going to be a few unknowns.”

The 28-year-old admitted that Miami, where he finished fourth, had exposed some weaknesses and provided valuable lessons for the rest of the campaign.

“It’s been a kind of turbulent start to the season, but for me, the truth is that Miami felt like my first tough race this season,” he said. “Now I am in a good place because I think I learned more there in Miami than in the first three races.”

Russell also highlighted race starts as Mercedes’ biggest weakness.

“The starts are a big focus for us because that’s clearly our biggest weak point,” he said. “We know in the short term it’s going to be difficult to make major gains.”

Kimi Antonelli Favourite?

Antonelli, meanwhile, said he had exceeded his own expectations with his remarkable start to the season.

“Definitely I did not expect to have such a strong start to the season, but definitely I’m not complaining,” Antonelli said.

“I just try to focus a lot on going race by race, not trying to think about the championship and stuff like that. But of course, I’m very well aware of the position that I am in now.”

(With inputs from Agencies)