– Does driving style make the difference between the two Mercedes drivers in the 2026 Formula 1 season? While youngster Kimi Antonelli seems to be really flourishing after a difficult debut year, the experienced George Russell is surprisingly struggling to keep up with his teammate.
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The situation somewhat reminds of Lewis Hamilton, who was dethroned by Russell at Mercedes and also struggled in his first Ferrari year. With the end of the ground-effect era, the performance of the seven-time world champion also returned.
Does Antonelli’s driving style therefore simply fit better with the current Formula 1 generation? Mercedes’ deputy team principal Bradley Lord considers this a difficult topic: “I’m never quite sure what to say when we talk about driving style. Because I believe the rule always applies that the best drivers are also the most versatile drivers,” he says.
“That’s exactly why pure driving talent often stands out so strongly in the wet: Because no two laps are the same, the grip is never the same, and therefore the ability to adapt from lap to lap makes the difference.”
Photo gallery: Where George Russell lost the most points in the 2026 championship battle
“I think we have seen many drivers in the past and present on the grid who have remained competitive at the top despite major regulation changes. The real subtleties of driving style therefore often come down to changes in tire construction and how the tires work,” he continues.
In 2026, for example, Formula 1 cars are running with significantly higher tire pressures than in previous years. “And that can have small influences on how they can attack braking, corner entry, and such things,” says Lord.
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“And likewise, there are some subtleties in driving style that can have disproportionately large effects on things like energy management and similar aspects.”
The current Formula 1 cars also have some characteristics that can primarily be described as counterintuitive. Drivers have to drive against their instincts to be faster in other areas.
Photo gallery: Where Kimi Antonelli lost the most points in the 2026 championship battle
“Honestly, I don’t know how much of it is due to the innate driving style itself, because the ability to fine-tune and adapt is often what distinguishes drivers from each other,” says Lord.
Nevertheless, he wants to emphasize that both drivers are capable of adapting to the conditions. Russell has just approached the challenges of adapting and adjusting a bit more aggressively.
“But I don’t believe there is any fundamental limitation for George or for Kimi that would mean they can’t get the very last bit out of the car. And we’ve seen that, after all, both have won Grands Prix and in quite an impressive manner this year.”
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