George Russell denies theory over F1 title favourite tag

George Russell has denied that he is feeling extra pressure on his shoulders when he is beaten by team-mate Kimi Antonelli due to his status as the title favourite. 

Mercedes' strong position at the head of the pecking order and Russell's experience over Antonelli naturally left him as the favourite for title success this year when the season got underway in Australia.

Russell clinched the opening round of the year, but at the following two rounds in China and Japan, Antonelli emerged victorious and now leads the drivers' standings.

The Italian currently holds a nine-point lead over his team-mate in the early stages of his second F1 season.

But when asked if he feels there is an extra critical eye on him due to his 'favourite' label, Russell told media including RacingNews365: ”No, not at all, to be honest.

“It’s a hell of a long season and no championship has ever been won after three races,

“For me, it's always important to maximise the results.”

Russell points to special circumstances over missed points

After a strong showing in Australia, Russell faced a setback in qualifying in China before a poorly timed safety car in Japan hampered his progress.

Having walked away from both rounds frustrated, Russell has backed himself to get the job done and secure the title across the 22-race season.

“I’m not leading the championship, but I've got to be honest, when I look at the circumstances of the last two races, I actually feel like I've maximised my results, and that's all I can do,” he said.

"If things had gone slightly differently in Suzuka, I think I could have won that race. If there was no safety car at all, I think I'd have finished second in that race behind Piastri.

"In China, I had the qualifying issue and I think otherwise I potentially could have been on pole there.

“So when I look at things rationally, I think I've maximised my results this year.

"And when I have a clean weekend as I have in Melbourne, I know I’ve got the capability of being on pole and winning the race.

“Obviously I was frustrated coming away from China and Japan, but that's always going to happen at some point in the season.

“I’m actually quite thankful that I still managed to get some decent points on the board.”