David Coulthard has urged George Russell to undermine his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli's confidence amid a tightening battle for the 2026 Formula 1 drivers' championship. Antonelli leads the standings by nine points after back-to-back wins at the Chinese and Japanese Grands Prix. Coulthard shared the advice on the Up To Speed podcast.
Kimi Antonelli has emerged as a standout in the 2026 F1 season, securing victories in the Chinese Grand Prix—his first in F1—and the subsequent Japanese Grand Prix. These back-to-back triumphs made him the youngest championship leader in F1 history. He now holds a nine-point advantage over George Russell, who entered the season as a pre-season title favorite but has seen his lead prospects dented by Antonelli's strong start in their first three races together at Mercedes. Antonelli achieved this in just his second F1 season, joining an elite group of 10 drivers who won their first two races consecutively, including legends like Lewis Hamilton and Alberto Ascari. Coulthard, a former F1 driver, emphasized the psychological edge needed in intra-team rivalries. 'George has to now start eroding that confidence within Kimi,' he said on the Up To Speed podcast. 'You don't want a really confident team-mate. You want a team-mate that's slightly thinking, 'Oh, I'm not sure I can beat him in qualifying.'' He added that Russell must maintain a team facade while applying pressure, warning that Antonelli is 'growing in confidence right now.' The drivers face a five-week break before the Miami Grand Prix on May 1-3, following cancellations of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian rounds. This pause gives Mercedes' rivals time to develop, increasing the stakes for Russell.
