Emerson Fittipaldi gave advice to George Russell.

      Emerson Fittipaldi, the legendary Brazilian driver and two-time world champion, gave advice to George Russell on how he should act in the second half of the season if he intends to catch Kimi Antonelli. Since the start of the championship, the 19-year-old Italian has won 6 out of 11 already held Grands Prix and confidently leads the individual standings, having scored 59 points more than his Mercedes teammate, who has two victories and is only in third place, while Lewis Hamilton, driving for Ferrari, has moved up to second.

      Given that the Mercedes W17 is the best car in the championship, it allows Antonelli to be among the main contenders for victory at almost every track. However, Russell's situation, with the same car, is not going as well for various reasons, even though he was considered a favorite in 2026, being a driver with seven full seasons of experience in Formula 1.

      When he secured pole position and won the race in Melbourne at the season's first round in Australia, everyone thought it confirmed his championship ambitions – but subsequent events unfolded differently. And it's not just that Russell was periodically hindered by technical issues, as was the case in Canada, when his car failed while he was leading the race.

      Throughout the first half of the season, there has been a strong impression that Antonelli, with his more aggressive driving style, has better adapted to the characteristics of the new generation car, and the W17 suits him perfectly.

      Still, Fittipaldi believes that Russell has a chance to come back if he can handle the inevitably increasing pressure. "Kimi Antonelli is doing a great job and demonstrating his potential. I have known him for many years, since he was karting," quotes the 79-year-old Brazilian veteran by Marca. "I also know Marco, his father, and their whole family very well. Marco even trained my son Emmo when he was racing in Formula 4. This is a great Italian family from Bologna – they are true racing people.

      In my opinion, Formula 1 benefits when a new talented driver emerges, you know? Kimi is only 19 years old, and he could very well become a world champion. He puts tremendous pressure on Russell, and in this situation, George must prove to himself that he hasn't squandered his strength.

      If he can handle the pressure – and he has shown more than once that he is quite capable of it – then in the second half of the championship, there will be very intense competition between the Mercedes teammates, and fans will be keenly watching."

      Fittipaldi's words evoke memories of last year's events when Lando Norris, trailing Oscar Piastri for most of the season, ultimately managed to overcome his McLaren teammate and become the world champion. In theory, one cannot rule out a repeat of such a scenario, although back then, in 2025, Lando's deficit was not as significant.