George Russell has insisted he will not be concerned about trailing in the Formula One drivers' championship until the summer break, despite his Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli taking an early lead.
The British driver won the season-opening race in Melbourne and was widely expected to dominate the early part of the campaign in what is considered the grid's leading car. However, 19-year-old Antonelli has defied expectations with consecutive victories in China and Japan, moving nine points clear at the top of the standings.
After a five-week hiatus caused by the cancellation of races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, the season resumes in Miami, where Mercedes are still expected to be the team to beat. Antonelli's form has sparked speculation that the young Italian could mount a serious title challenge against his more experienced team-mate.
Russell, however, remains unfazed by the early deficit. He likened the current stage of the championship to the opening miles of a marathon, saying: "Nobody remembers who leads the standings for the longest time. It's about crossing the line first at the end."
When pressed on when he would start to worry if still trailing, Russell replied: "Probably the summer break."
The comments come amid a series of tweaks to the sport's controversial new regulations following the last race in Japan. During that event, Haas driver Ollie Bearman suffered a high-speed crash into the barriers, partly attributed to extreme closing speeds caused by an element of the new rules.
Russell believes the adjustments will prevent a recurrence of such incidents and also argued that attempting to explain the complexities of the regulations is both unnecessary and unhelpful. Changes such as a one-megajoule reduction in energy harvesting and a cap on the boost button to 150kw highlight how intricate the new rules have become.
