Wolff minimizes Russell's pressure despite Antonelli's rise.

      "He has consistently recognized how quick the boy is."

      Toto Wolff has downplayed claims that George Russell is feeling heightened pressure from teammate Kimi Antonelli, despite the 19-year-old Italian's remarkable start to the 2026 season. Antonelli has achieved back-to-back poles and wins, becoming the first teenager to lead the championship; however, Wolff maintains that the atmosphere at Mercedes remains calm. "No, I think he's so experienced that it doesn’t create any pressure yet," said Wolff when asked if Russell felt the increasing pressure. "He’s always acknowledged how fast the boy is. I always try to be rational. There were two races that didn’t go George's way, not always due to his own doing. There are still 19 races left, and anything can happen."

      Russell, however, seemed visibly frustrated after the Japanese GP, attributing his loss of the championship lead to bad luck. "Our start was very normal, so again, bad," he remarked, referring to a number of challenges. "If the safety car had come out a lap later, I would have won the race," he asserted. The British driver reported ongoing issues throughout the race. "I couldn’t charge my battery at the safety car restart. So, Lewis Hamilton just sped past me. Then I had the battery problem later in the race again. I had no speed at all - it was just one problem after another."

      Russell also pointed out that bad luck seems to have predominantly affected his side of the garage. "Right now, it feels like every issue we've faced in the last two weekends has been on my side," he noted. Despite Antonelli’s strong performance, the Italian claims Russell is still the standard in qualifying. "I think in qualifying, he still holds the advantage, especially in Q3. He always manages to find that little bit extra, which I'm working on," Antonelli stated.

      Team principal Wolff mentioned an area where the young driver needs to improve on Sunday. "His start was a bit of a disaster. He might need to go back to driving school to learn how to release the clutch smoothly," he quipped at Suzuka. However, the Mercedes boss acknowledged that the problem is more extensive. "We’re not providing them with the optimal tools. Our starts have all been mediocre. We need to enhance that." Antonelli, for his part, humorously noted that he is already focusing on it. "I have plenty of time before Miami to practice how to release the clutch properly," he said. He currently leads the drivers’ standings over Russell by 9 points.