George Russell believes this year's Formula One world championship is Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli's to lose after just six races of the 2026 season. 

Antonelli stretched his gap at the top of the standings to 43 points at the Canadian Grand Prix after winning his fourth race of the campaign, all of which have come in a row.

However, Russell was forced to retire in Montreal on lap 31 after sustaining a power unit issue following an enthralling battle with Antonelli at the start of the race. 

The Silver Arrows drivers came close to colliding in both the grand prix and the sprint, with the latter race won by Russell, while Antonelli took the chequered flag in third. 

Russell has only won one race this year, coming at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, though he has picked up sprint victories in China and Canada last time out. 

And despite there being 18 more races of the season remaining, starting with this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix, Russell believes Antonelli is in the driving seat. 

"If I look at it from my competitor's position, you're kind of in a position now that you've got such a buffer, it feels like you can only keep it, or you can only lose it," Russell said.

"It's his to lose. My mindset is to enjoy every single race, try and win every single race, the same as I've done this whole season.

"I'm going to fight the same, I'm not going to change my mentality at all, nor am I going to let this put any more pressure on to me."

Russell has been in fine form for Mercedes, though. He has scored points in each of his last 21 races, his best personal streak and the longest active run on the current grid. 

Should he finish in the points in Monaco, he would equal the 13th-longest streak in F1 history, set by Valtteri Bottas (22 between the British Grand Prix in 2018 and the British Grand Prix in 2019). 

But Russell bemoaned a series of events that have already gone against him this season, having also suffered technical issues in qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix. 

He was also on the wrong end of a safety-car intervention in Japan that handed the lead to Antonelli, but he has no reason to believe that he cannot bounce back from adversity.

"I don't feel like I need to get every single result possible, because the season's long enough that over the course of the season, it will swing if you're the guy who's on top," Russell added. 

"So I just need to continue being the guy who's coming out on top, even if he's the one at the moment who's getting the results."

And the 28-year-old pointed to his own junior career, particularly during his time in Formula Two, as a reason to look on the bright side moving forward. 

"In Formula 2 (in 2018), I had, I think, five failures over the course of a year," he said.

"I came to Monaco, never been to Monaco before, and I broke down on the out lap in practice.And then went into qualifying, a 15-minute session, four laps, and didn't qualify anywhere decent. I broke down on other occasions.

"The engine stalled, but then still went on over the course of a year to win the championship. So I take inspiration from those moments. And I think for everyone every year, you have a run of races where, I don't know why or how, everything just goes your way.

"And that's just how it sometimes goes when things turn. It's just a mentality I've got. I'm in a very good head space. The pressure feels off now."

DRIVERS TO WATCH

Kimi Antonelli – Mercedes

Antonelli became the first driver in F1 history to claim his first four wins in the competition consecutively, and he will be keen to make that five in a row here. 

He is only the second Italian driver to record four wins in a row, after Alberto Ascari's run of seven between the 1952 Belgian Grand Prix and the 1953 Argentine Grand Prix. 

The 19-year-old could also become the 10th driver in F1 history to achieve five wins in a row, and he will be confident given Mercedes' sensational start to the season. 

Mercedes have won each of the opening five races of 2026. Only in 2014 (six) and 2019 (eight) have the Silver Arrows begun a campaign with more victories in the opening six races of the season. 

In addition, a Mercedes driver has taken pole position in each of the opening five F1 races this season (three for Kimi Antonelli and two for Russell).

Since the start of the Hybrid Era in 2014, only Red Bull in 2011 (15) and 2024 (seven) and Mercedes themselves in 2020 (13), 2015 (12) and 2014 (seven) have managed more after six races. 

Charles Leclerc – Ferrari

After signing a new contract with Ferrari reportedly until 2028 earlier this week, Charles Leclerc will be hoping to deliver a positive result for the Scuderia in his home race.

Leclerc has often thrived around the streets of Monte-Carlo, having secured pole position in three of the last five editions of the Monaco Grand Prix (with Max Verstappen taking pole in 2023 and Lando Norris in 2025).

Only in Azerbaijan (four) has he taken more poles during his F1 career (also three in Belgium). In fact, only Lewis Hamilton (seven), Aryton Senna (six), Jim Clark (five) and Stirling Moss (four) have secured more pole positions in their home race than Leclerc.

Ferrari have also won in Monaco on 10 occasions – most recently in 2024 thanks to Leclerc's debut victory on home turf – and are the second-most successful team in the Principality behind McLaren (16).

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Drivers'

1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 131

2. George Russell (Mercedes) – 88

3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 75

4. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 72

5. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 58

Constructors'

1. Mercedes – 219

2. Ferrari – 147

3. McLaren – 106

4. Red Bull – 57

5. Alpine – 35