George Russell says he no longer believes his driving style explains his pace deficit to Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli at the Belgian Grand Prix. Russell trails Antonelli by 25 points in the championship and qualified over half a second behind the Italian, who took pole at Spa-Francorchamps.

After suggesting on Thursday he was adjusting his technique like "a golfer with a new swing," Russell told Sky Sports F1 on Saturday: "We have finally concluded it's not" the driving style. He cited consistent losses of two to seven tenths per lap, including four tenths on straights in Q3. The issue appeared as early as Austria and persisted through Silverstone.

Toto Wolff admitted confusion over where Russell is losing time, noting losses in both corners and straights. Karun Chandhok found Russell's comments "contradicting" Mercedes' view that Antonelli's efficiency and corner speed are the difference. Russell qualified fourth but starts third due to Lando Norris's grid penalty.

Despite the deficit, Russell aims to "endure the pain" and target a strong race result on Sunday at 2pm, hoping for a solution before Hungary next week.