Reigning F1 champion Lando Norris has stated George Russell is facing a “tough” choice over how he approaches the coming season as he seeks to overcome a large deficit in the drivers' standings.
Kimi Antonelli currently sits 50 points ahead of Russell in the championship, having won five out of the opening seven grands prix this year.
Russell has faced numerous challenges in the first phase of the season after entering the campaign as the favourite to claim the title this year.
Last year, Norris sat well down on his team-mate Oscar Piastri after the summer break and took a “no pressure” approach for the remainder of the campaign before clinching the title at the final round in Abu Dhabi.
But Norris stated the same method might not work for Russell.
“It certainly made a difference,” Norris told media including RacingNews365, referencing his 2025 approach. “Everyone thinks differently.
“I've always put a lot of pressure on myself. I don't know if George puts pressure on himself or doesn't or feels it or not.
“I don't know what situation he was necessarily in now. He's also always been quite a confident guy at the same time.
"Whereas last year I went from not much confidence to, 'what have I got to lose now?' He's gone from feeling quite confident to maybe losing some of that confidence.
“Maybe now getting to that point, every driver has to find their own way of doing it. It's not one thing works for all.
"It's tough to know exactly what you've got to do in that situation. Do you put more pressure on yourself? Do you try and feel none of it?”
Antonelli's surge to the head of the standings comes in his second campaign, a notable step forward from the struggles he endured in his maiden season.
Norris stated that the Italian's rise has taken many by surprise.
“There are a lot of things to think about as soon as someone says you're a title contender and you're in that situation,” he said.
“He's also got a team-mate who's doing a pretty unbelievable job.
"Probably better than I would say most people were expecting in here. He's got pressure from having a very good team-mate and someone who's challenging him incredibly well, not making any mistakes.
“And then you've got your own challenge of just getting the most out of yourself.”
Originally published by RacingNews365 —
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