MOTOR RACING: Antonelli set for six to equal Russell's career tally

Formula One leader Kimi Antonelli can deal George Russell another psychological blow in Spain this weekend by equalling his Mercedes teammate's career tally of six grand prix wins after starting the season with none.

The 19-year-old Italian arrives at the Circuit de Catalunya outside Barcelona on the back of an astonishing sequence of five wins in a row that has stunned the sport and left Russell, in his eighth season, with a mountain to climb.

The youngest championship leader in the history of the sport can achieve something that his Mercedes predecessor and seven times world champion Lewis Hamilton has yet to do -- a run of six successive victories.

The momentum is all with Antonelli, the teenager now 66 points clear of Ferrari's Hamilton and 68 ahead of Russell who now faces a challenge the 28-year-old never envisaged when he started the campaign as title favourite.

'IN A VERY WEIRD STATE OF MIND'

"I'm in a very weird state of mind because I've had very low moments in my career where I've maybe had a run of two or three bad races on my own personal performance," Russell said after failing to score in Monaco last weekend.

"I've never had a run of bad luck as such like this."

A dominant performance in Monaco, winning from pole with fastest lap and after two standing starts, showed that Antonelli is not just riding his luck and Barcelona could provide more proof of his talent.

Team boss Toto Wolff said the familiar track, now one of two Iberian races with Madrid making its debut in September as host of the Spanish Grand Prix, would give a better reading of Mercedes' performance.

"It will be the first weekend where we can understand more clearly our recent updates and where we sit relative to the rest of the field," said the Austrian.

"Kimi will naturally take confidence from Monaco, but the focus has to be on continuing to build and doing the job in Barcelona.

"For George, the last races have not gone his way but that is part of racing. He is very strong mentally, we know the level he can deliver and he has the right people around him," added Wolff. "The objective is simple: reset, focus on the weekend ahead and put together the performance we know he is capable of."

McLaren's Oscar Piastri won from pole last year, and Antonelli will need no reminding that the Australian was far ahead in the championship before being reeled in by teammate and eventual champion Lando Norris and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

McLaren, in what was a 1,000th race for the reigning champions, had a nightmare in Monaco and Mercedes may find the biggest threats are posed by others.

Hamilton, second in the last two races and still seeking a first win with Ferrari since he joined last year, will be one of them along with teammate Charles Leclerc while four times world champion Verstappen is another at the circuit where he took his first F1 win in 2016.

Spanish fans will be cheering double world champion Fernando Alonso, who scored struggling Aston Martin's first point of the season in Monaco, and Williams' Carlos Sainz as the home representatives.

Sainz's Thai teammate Alex Albon will meanwhile become the driver with the most grand prix starts for the former champions. Sunday will be his 96th race with the Grove-based outfit.

Some less familiar faces will be on the timesheets in first practice as teams give track time to reserve drivers.

--Reporting by Alan Baldwin; Editing by Toby Chopra/Reuters