George Russell has vowed that this season will not define his career as he prepares to watch team-mate Kimi Antonelli celebrate his world championship win.

Antonelli is likely to become the youngest Formula One world champion in history following Sunday’s race here in Mexico, with four scheduled rounds to spare.

Russell, 28, finished a lowly eighth in Austin last weekend as his 20-year-old colleague stormed to a ninth win of the season, extending his title lead to 123 points with just 125 left to play for.

Russell was at a loss to explain his deficit to Antonelli in Texas but is determined to end the season strongly and head into next year ready to turn the tide.

“I have learnt more about myself this year than I would have liked to in all honesty. Highs and lows in sport are immense and that is because we all care so much what we are doing,” Russell said.

“I am 28, Lewis (Hamilton) and Fernando (Alonso) are still competing extremely well in their 40s. Lewis won most of his titles in his 30s, this year will not define my career as a whole.

“It will not break me, it will make me stronger.

“I have generally bounced back very well from difficult moments. Every athlete has seasons where they are not at their best level. Unfortunately this year for me has come at the time I needed it most, but this is nowhere near the end of my journey.”

Russell’s slender title hopes have evaporated over recent races. An engine blow up in Malaysia was compounded by starting from the back of the grid in Singapore, while in the United States he just had no answer to Antonelli.

The British driver finds himself in a scrap to hold on to second place – although he reiterated his claim from last week that that position would mean nothing to him – with Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc all within 10 points.

“I think for every driver on the grid there is only one position that matters and it is P1. To be best of the rest is not something you dream of as a kid,” Russell said.

“It is more important to finish the season on a positive momentum. Second, third, fourth, fifth – I will only lose or gain sleep based on performances.

“This sport is kind of P1 or nothing, really.”

The Italian has dominated his team-mate since the second race of the season, with Russell unable to stop Antonelli’s march.

But the Briton stressed he is not worried about comparing himself to his team-mate, instead looking at himself as he bids to bite back in 2027.

“The approach I have – we are not boxers in a ring fighting directly against somebody else,” Russell added.

“We are kind of fighting against ourselves. A bit like a golfer. I am not directly looking at my number one competitor saying ‘how do I beat this guy?’

“I am looking at myself saying ‘what do I need to do’?”

Russell wants to use the final five races, starting on Sunday in Mexico City, to find a consistent level of performance.

“A couple of races ago (Baku in September) we were on pole and won the race. Last week we’re finishing eighth,” he added.

“I’ve never had a season like this in my career where the performance has fluctuated so much. I know it it is in there, you can’t deliver performances like Baku if you’ve so-called ‘lost it’.

“Just struggling to have a high hit rate, I’ve never had it personally before in my career. So that is probably the priority for the last few races.”