Jolyon Palmer states that George Russell is not under the same pressure as Lando Norris was last year in the F1 title race. After three races in the 2026 season, Mercedes appears to be leading the championship with Russell and Kimi Antonelli performing strongly.
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Jolyon Palmer believes George Russell isnāt feeling the same pressure in his title bid that Lando Norris experienced last season.
Only three races into the 2026 F1 calendar, Mercedes already look to be in control of the championship, with Russell and Kimi Antonelli setting the early pace.
Russell opened the season with a win in Australia but has since seen his teammate take back-to-back victories in China and Japan.
Antonelli now leads the standings by nine points heading into this weekendās Miami Grand Prix.
Even though Russell is currently behind Antonelli in the standings, former F1 driver Palmer thinks he isnāt feeling any real pressure yet and remains confident.
Palmer, who raced for Renault during his career, also drew a comparison between Russellās approach this year and how Lando Norris handled his title fight last season.
He said on the F1 Nation podcast: āI feel like there is a difference when I look at George compared to Lando last year. I think Lando felt like there was more pressure on his shoulders with just the way he was speaking, the way he was saying heās not comfortable with the car.
āHe arrived in China having won in Melbourne, but he was still saying, āIām not feeling the love from the carā. George is shoulders back, heās waltzing down the paddock, he is still, you know, the confident air in him.
āI think every time he turns up at the moment, he thinks he is going to win. It didnāt happen in Japan but I donāt see yet him having any sort of pressure on his shoulders.
āOf course it must be there but I donāt see him. I donāt see that coming just after one weekend where heās been categorically outpaced. Maybe it will come in a few races but for now I think he is still confident.ā
Palmer suggests that the current circumstances and team dynamics differ significantly from last year, affecting Russell's pressure levels.
Russell started the season with a win in Australia but has since faced competition from his teammate, Kimi Antonelli, who has won the last two races.
Mercedes is currently in control of the championship after three races, with both Russell and Antonelli showing strong performances.
The races completed so far in the 2026 season include the Australian Grand Prix, the Chinese Grand Prix, and the Japanese Grand Prix.
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Despite entering 2026 as the clear title favourite, Russell said he isnāt worrying about the overall championship picture yet.
Instead, heās focused on staying in his routine and taking each session as it comes.
Speaking to the BBCās Chequered Flag, Russell explained: āI was a bit surprised about that myself. Iām just going about my process day to day. Every time I get in a race car, I donāt think about the big picture, which is winning the championship.
āI just think about here in the moment, you know, going out and qualifying. How am I going to drive the fastest lap possible for the race? How am I going to get the best race start, the best race? Trying to stand on the top step (of the podium) and just go about my business like that.ā
The Brit continued: āOf course, I know that weāre in this fight but itās not something that Iām even thinking about. Because I know to win a championship youāve just got to go through those processes.ā
Russell might appear relaxed for now, but as Mercedes continues its run of dominance and expectations rise for him to become world champion, it wouldnāt be surprising if pressure started to build later in the season.
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