George Russell insists he does "have an answer" to Kimi Antonelli's pace but admits he will need good fortune to catch his Mercedes team-mate at the top of the Drivers' Championship.

Russell suffered a demoralising blow at the Italian Grand Prix when he was beaten to victory by Antonelli despite the 20-year-old starting from 19th. The result saw Russell fall 66 points behind Antonelli with 10 rounds remaining, starting with the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid.

"I do have an answer and I'm working on it, and it's been much improved," Russell said. "I feel my performance since the summer break has been... my race pace has been on a par with him. I'm definitely very pleased with that progression."

Russell admitted luck will be required if he is to claim his maiden title. "I'm not trying to be delusional. The reality is my team-mate's done a better job than me this year. If I want to win this championship, I'm going to need some luck."