George Russell has dismissed teammate Kimi Antonelli's nine-point championship lead as "not even a consideration" with F1 heading to Miami. The 19-year-old Italian becomes the youngest championship leader in F1 history after three races, but Russell compared the situation to a marathon runner focusing only on the next few miles rather than the finish line.

Mercedes is taking a different approach to upgrades compared to rivals like Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull. While those teams brought major new parts to Miami, Mercedes will split their developments across this weekend and the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix. Russell expressed surprise at rivals' upgrade timing, suggesting they may have intended to bring them earlier in the season.

Antonelli, returning to the Miami circuit where he claimed his first F1 pole position last year, expects increased competition. "We're not really bringing anything, just very small things," he admitted. Despite expecting rivals to close the gap, both Mercedes drivers remain confident with Russell stating, "I know with a smooth weekend, I can win," acknowledging championship battles always include difficult weekends.