Russell reset and prepared to trust his instincts after August break

ZANDVOORT, Netherlands, Aug 21 : Formula One title hopeful George Russell will trust his instincts as he goes into the second half of the season mentally reset and ready to try to chase down Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli.

The Briton is third overall and 59 points adrift of the Italian, who is racing for the last time as a teenager in this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix with his 20th birthday next week. Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton is second, 50 points off the lead.

Antonelli won five races in succession at the start of the season, after Russell, 28, won the Australian opener, and has looked far more at home than his teammate in the sport's new engine era.

"I know what I need to achieve with my driving style, but rather than having it in the forefront of my mind it's more in the back of my mind," Russell told reporters of his mindset after an August break during which he became engaged to Spanish fiancee Carmen Montero Mundt.

"Rather than continuously thinking about it and trying to evolve, I've had time to rest and had time to think," he added. "I feel quite relaxed about it all now. I'm going to go out there and try and drive fast. It will take me where it takes me.

"I want to not overthink it, trust in my ability and drive a little more instinctively. That’s maybe what I wasn’t doing before the break."

Russell said he was looking forward to getting back "into a good groove", with races coming in quick succession.

He joked that having had a proposal to think about during the break had also helped take his mind off racing matters, although popping the question had not gone as smoothly as hoped: "I couldn’t get my words out... got very nervous when I was on one knee."