Russell says Mercedes teammate Antonelli has F1 title 'to lose'. Ferrari might beat both in Monaco
Mercedes driver George Russell, of Britain, walks through the paddock at the F1 Canadian Grand Prix auto race in Montreal, Sunday, May 24, 2026. Credit: AP/Graham Hughes
It's Kimi Antonelli's Formula 1 title “to lose”, or so his Mercedes teammate George Russell says. At the Monaco Grand Prix this week, for once they might both lose.
The 19-year-old Antonelli has won four races in a row for a vast 43-point lead and, between him and Russell, Mercedes has won every Grand Prix this year. Ferrari and hometown hero Charles Leclerc will aim to end that streak this week.
The Canadian Grand Prix spiced up the title race as Russell and Antonelli battled wheel-to-wheel for lap after lap, only for an engine failure on Russell's car to spoil the show.
“You’ve got such a buffer, it feels like you can only keep it, or you can lose it. And I think it’s his to lose," Russell said Thursday. “So, my mindset is to enjoy every single race, try and win every single race. 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.”
Mercedes has had the car to beat all year but it might be Ferrari in front in Monaco. Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton's cars have a smaller turbocharger which might give them a quicker kick of power out of the many slow corners.
“If there’s one track I would bet on us, it’s probably Monaco,” said Leclerc, who's fresh off signing a new contract at Ferrari.
Unique test in Monaco
Monaco's tight and twisty streets create a race unlike any other. Three-time champion Nelson Piquet likened it to riding a bicycle around your living room.
Winner Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, center, of Italy, smiles after being doused by his team following the F1 Canadian Grand Prix auto race in Montreal, Sunday, May 24, 2026. Credit: AP/Christopher Katsarov
This year, it feels almost like a different class of racing altogether.
For the first time, there's a de-facto speed limiter reducing electrical power when the car is going over 200 kmh (124 mph) on safety grounds, and the new-for-2026 moving aerodynamic parts for straight-line speed won't be used in Monaco. Essentially, the track is being treated like one big corner.
Mercedes, Red Bull and McLaren have put miniature “winglets” on their cars for extra downforce instead of the components that would usually move the wings.
Monaco races tend to be processions, but qualifying is tense and often spectacular, all the more so because grid position is extra important when overtaking in Sunday's race is near-impossible.
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, of Monaco, speaks during an interview at the F1 Canadian Grand Prix auto race, Thursday, May 21, 2026, in Montreal. Credit: AP/Graham Hughes
With Cadillac on the grid for 2026, there will be two more cars on track for a total of 22. That could make qualifying more of a lottery, especially the extra-crowded first session.
Vegas soars over Monaco
Old-school glamor and modern glitz collided Thursday night as F1 used a swarm of 3,000 drones over Monaco's port to announce a 10-year contract extension for the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Monaco pioneered the mix of casinos, celebrity and street racing that fuel Las Vegas' F1 project. Since its 2023 debut following F1's boom in the United States, Las Vegas has become a contender to surpass Monaco as the standout social event on the calendar.
F1 president Stefano Domenicali called Las Vegas the “premier destination for great racing, world-class entertainment, global business leaders, A-list celebrities and influencers” on Thursday. It was a description that until recently only applied to Monaco.
Las Vegas was the first race F1 promoted in-house, in effect a big bet on the U.S. market and one that so far seems to be paying off.
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