Title Antonelli's to lose, says team-mate Russell

Italian Antonelli, 19, has won 4 races successful a row, portion Russell's lone expansive prix triumph this twelvemonth was successful the season-opening contention successful Australia.

Russell, 28, did triumph the sprint events successful China and Canada.

He has bemoaned a bid of events going against him - including method issues successful qualifying successful China, a safety-car involution successful Japan that handed the pb to Antonelli and the Canada problems - but says helium has nary crushed to consciousness helium cannot bounce back.

"I don't consciousness similar I request to get each azygous effect possible, due to the fact that the season's agelong capable that implicit the people of the season, it volition plaything if you're the feline who's connected top.

"So I conscionable request to proceed being the feline who's coming retired connected top, adjacent if he's the 1 astatine the infinitesimal who's getting the results."

Russell said that his status successful Canada "hurts" but added: "That's conscionable the mode racing goes."

And helium pointed to his ain inferior vocation arsenic a crushed to enactment positive.

"In Formula 2 (in 2018), I had, I think, 5 failures implicit the people of a year," helium said.

"I came to Monaco, ne'er been to Monaco before, and I broke down connected the retired thigh successful practice. And past went into qualifying, 15-minute session, 4 laps, and didn't suffice anyplace decent.

"I broke down connected different occasions. The motor stalled, but past inactive went connected implicit the people of a twelvemonth to triumph the championship.

"So I instrumentality inspiration from those moments. And I deliberation for everyone each year, you person a tally of races where, I don't cognize wherefore oregon how, everything conscionable goes your way.

"And that's conscionable however it goes sometimes erstwhile things turn. It's conscionable a mentality I've got. I'm successful a precise bully caput space. The unit feels disconnected now. And there's conscionable a immense magnitude of clip to go."