George Russell isn’t concerned about his team mate’s growing lead at the top of the drivers’ championship standings because he’s overturned larger points deficits in the past.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli leads Russell by 20 points after the first four rounds of the season. However there are 482 points still available, 33 of which can be taken this weekend.

Since winning the season-opening round in Australia over two months ago, Russell has seen Antonelli overhaul him by winning the last three grands prix. But although the Mercedes drivers appear to have the championship fight to themselves at this stage, Russell says he isn’t growing concerned about Antonelli’s lead.

“It’s just another race and it’s not even in my mind, the championship,” said Russell. “I know what I’m capable of, I know the speed I’ve got.

“Obviously Miami was a bad weekend. It was a tough weekend for me there last year and [then] I went to Montreal and had a great weekend. It doesn’t mean this year is going to be the same, but I just need to focus on myself, go through my processes as I did in Melbourne, as I did in China, and control what I can control.

“So, there’s really no need to panic at all. And as we said, we’re four races down, 18 at least to go.”

Russell pointed out he beat reigning champion Lando Norris to the Formula 2 title in 2018 by 68 points despite having fallen 37 points off the lead after the third race.

“I actually look back on my F2 season, which is obviously the last time I fought for a championship, and I was P6 after four races in F2 and about 35 points down,” said Russell. “So at this point it means nothing.”

Although the last grand prix in Miami was the third in a row where Antonelli beat Russell to victory, he considers that his only under-performance of the season so far.

“I think it’s very circuit-dependent, the same way as it was last year,” said Russell. “I think everybody has stronger circuits, weaker circuits. If I look at it objectively, Miami was the only blip, as it kind of was for me last year as well.

“So hopefully it’s one race out of 22 where it’s like that. It has been a bit of a tricky start with a bit of bad luck in China and Japan, and the season could be in a totally different predicament if that was slightly different.

“So as I said, there’s no cause for concern. It’s business as usual and see what this weekend brings. Also, going into the European season, when we’re all in a bit more of a groove, some double-headers, triple-headers at the end of the year, things shift very quickly.”

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