Russell Just Conceded the Championship. Should He Have?
'The championship is Kimi's to lose.' That's what he said. With 17 races left.
George Russell's power unit died while he was leading in Canada. His teammate won for the fourth consecutive race. And after the race, Russell said: 'The championship is Kimi's to lose.'
Is he right? The math says probably. 43-point lead with 17 races remaining is 2.53 points per race. A DNF and a P5 finish could erase that in two weekends. But Antonelli hasn't had a DNF. He's won four straight. He's never finished worse than second all season.
Here's what Russell's comment doesn't address: Antonelli lost the lead at the start AGAIN in Canada. Despite starting P2. Despite not having pole. The start problem persists through five races. Monaco has the shortest run to Turn 1 on the calendar. If Antonelli qualifies on pole — likely — and loses positions at the start where overtaking is nearly impossible, his race-pace recovery disappears.
The championship might be Kimi's to lose. But Monaco is exactly the kind of race where he could lose it. Position adjusts to 0.55. Monaco in 11 days.