Former Formula 1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya says George Russell must deliver “commanding” wins over teammate Kimi Antonelli at this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix to halt a growing momentum shift inside Mercedes.

With Mercedes dominating the early 2026 season and Antonelli leading the championship, the intra team battle has become one of the defining storylines heading into Miami after a five week break, with two races on the bill. The Sprint Race on Saturday, and the Grand Prix on Sunday.

Speaking to the media team at Betpack, Montoya said he expects the competitive order to remain stable at the front: “The Mercedes and the McLarens are going to be really strong and then a Ferrari."

But the Colombian pointed to Russell’s mindset as the key variable after a frustrating outing in Japan: “The most interesting part of Miami is if George can bounce back. He needs to get a good result. He needs to figure out how not to get overwhelmed with bad results.

“He was frustrated in Japan when the safety car didn't come out at the right time. But when you walk off with the helmet on and all that anger because you don't want to talk to anybody, you just put it on a silver platter for Kimi."

Russell needs to put Antonelli back in his place

Montoya also stressed the importance of emotional control:“It means he is getting into George’s head and it’s really affecting him. The circumstances this season have been very good for Kimi. But if George has a clean weekend, I think George can still beat Kimi.

"George needs to beat Kimi in a commanding manner in the next two races.  If he can go out and beat Kimi and put him back in his place, it would be very good for George and George's future in Mercedes. If not, it will just escalate.

“Jackie Stewart once told me when I was at his son Paul Stewart’s racing team, you need to learn not to go too high on the highs and not too low on the lows.

“Learning to stay, let's call it in the zone, is important. If you don't get too happy then the fall is not as big. If you can learn to be more neutral in your mood, that helps.”

He contrasted Russell’s reaction in Japan with the composed demeanour of multiple champions: “Look at Max, Max is a lot more neutral. That makes him a lot stronger mentally.

“George should have walked out with his helmet off and go, ‘We got a tough break. I thought we had the speed to Kimi.’ No drama. The demeanour changes and people think he's still on top of Kimi."

Getting on top of it

Montoya added that projecting control has long been a hallmark of the sport’s elite:  “I am sure he still feels that he can beat Kimi. But how people perceive him is very important. He needs to understand that that is part of it.

"He might go inside and scream, but publicly you need to come out and appear like you're on top of it. Toto and Christian are very good at that. Michael Schumacher played the game really well too. Lewis is the same. You don't see emotions out of Lewis.

"That goes a long way because showing emotions sadly is just a tool for people to know that they can get under your skin," concluded the Colombian.

Antonelli leads the 2026 F1 drivers’ Championship after three rounds, capitalising on wins in China and Japan, with Russell close behind but under pressure to respond with one win on his scorecard thus far.

Mercedes sit comfortably at the top of the Constructors’ Championship, ahead of McLaren, with Ferrari trailing as the leading challenger from the chasing pack heading into Miami.