Antonelli's Title to Lose: Russell and Poll Agree

Kimi Antonelli's fourth consecutive grand prix victory in Canada marked an unprecedented start to an F1 career, convincing teammate George Russell that the 2025 drivers' title is now Antonelli's to lose. Russell retired from the Canadian GP with a power unit issue while leading, falling 43 points behind Antonelli. A subsequent RacingNews365 poll found 56% of respondents agree with Russell's assessment, with only 6.5% still backing the Briton.

Why it matters:

Antonelli's dominance has flipped Mercedes' internal pecking order. Russell, once the team's senior driver, now faces a steep uphill battle. The championship narrative has shifted from an intra-team fight to Antonelli's potential runaway.

The details:

• Antonelli is the first driver in F1 history to win his first four career victories consecutively, all coming in the first five races of the season.
• Russell had a strong weekend: sprint pole, sprint win, grand prix pole, and led most of the main race until lap 30 when a power unit failure forced retirement.
• The points deficit: 43 points. With at least 349 points still available, the gap is significant but not insurmountable.
• Russell's candid quote: "Right now, it is his to lose, being so many points ahead. It feels like the gods don't want me to be in this fight."
• Poll results: 56% see Antonelli as clear favorite, 6.51% stick with Russell, and 37.74% remain undecided after just five rounds.

What's next:

Mercedes must resolve their reliability issues to keep Russell in contention. Antonelli's consistency suggests he can maintain the pressure. The title race is far from over, but the momentum is firmly with the teenager.