Monaco Grand Prix 2026: George Russell says F1 title is Kimi Antonelli's 'to lose'

George Russell (right, with Kimi Antonelli) won the sprint race in Canada but then retired from the grand prix the following day George Russell says this year's world championship is Kimi Antonelli's "to lose" after the Briton's retirement from the last race in Canada. Russell heads into this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix with a 43-point deficit to his Mercedes team-mate after the Briton's engine failed while leading in Montreal. Italian Antonelli, 19, has won four races in a row, while Russell's only grand prix victory this year was in the season-opening race in Australia. Monaco is the sixth round of what is now a 22-race season. "If I look at it from my competitor's position, you're kind of in a position now that you've got such a buffer, it feels like you can only keep it or you can only lose it," Russell said. "It's his to lose. My mindset is to enjoy every single race, try and win every single race, the same as I've done this whole season. I'm going to fight the same, I'm not going to change my mentality at all, nor am I going to let this put any more pressure on to me." How to follow the Monaco Grand Prix on the BBC Will 2026's 'yo-yo racing' mean overtaking in Monaco? Antonel