George Russell believes his performance in the Miami Grand Prix was "clearly an outlier weekend for me" having been unable to match Mercedes team mate Kimi Antonelli after finishing a distant fourth.
Russell finished 43 seconds behind race winner Antonelli after struggling for pace during Sunday's 57-lap race in Miami and prior to that in Qualifying and the Sprint.
A late-race overtake on Max Verstappen and last-lap pass on Charles Leclerc eventually meant Russell salvaged fourth from fifth on the grid, which leaves him 20 points behind Antonelli in the standings after just four rounds.
"I don't really know to be honest," said Russell when asked if P4 was a reasonable result considering his lack of pace.
"It's a funny old place and it's been a funny old weekend, so I'm very glad to see the end of it and just looking forward to getting into more traditional circuits. It's clearly an outlier weekend for me."
Mercedes entered this season with an advantage under the new-for-2026 rules and many expected Russell to take a commanding lead in the standings compared to his teenage team mate, who is only competing in his sophomore season.
Antonelli has taken three consecutive pole positions and Grand Prix victories, though, but Russell believes that small details mean he has slipped behind his more inexperienced team mate in the pecking order.
"It's obviously a little bit frustrating but I think over the course of a year that's always going to be the case at certain points," said Russell.
"It's why I'm still standing here, head held high because Australia I was quickest, pole and win. China I had the pace, won the Sprint, pole in that and had the issue in Qualifying. Japan also had the potential for victory without the unfortunate timing of a Safety Car.
"The smallest of differences, I could be standing here saying okay Miami is a one-off and this is my first bad weekend of the season. Unfortunately it's not but that's the way the game goes and its swings and roundabouts."
