Russell perplexed by struggles having arrived in Monaco playing mind games

Russell said he believed the problem lay in their respective driving styles, and its impact on whether the tyres were at their ideal temperature for a qualifying lap.

"There's clearly a difference in driving style between the two of us, which has been there last year as well, but played into my hands very well last year," Russell said.

"And it clearly is playing into his hands perfectly well this year, but it still doesn't answer why I was so good at the start of the year and so poor now. So, we need to look at why that is. It's clear in the data.

"The difference is how we're driving has such an impact on the tyres. He's just getting the tyres in a nicer window than me, a nicer balance over the course of a lap, and the pace is just coming easier for him. I don't know why that is.

"I've been driving in this manner my whole career, and now, for whatever reason, it's not working with this car.

"Last year's car, Kimi was trying to drive in my way, and it was also not working for him.

"It's no excuse, it's just a reality, and I need to either work with the team to adjust my driving to compensate these new tyres, these new cars, or I need to find a different set-up that works for me."

The result of qualifying was especially dispiriting for Russell, who was on pole at the last race in Canada, for two different reasons.

Monaco has a special status as a track where driving talent can make the difference, and he needs to make up ground in the championship.

Starting sixth, on a track where passing is expected to be next to impossible even in the context of the increased amount of overtaking with the new cars introduced this year, means his chances of moving up the field are remote.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff told Sky Sports: "George is very robust and resilient. There were a few races that went against him, just because luck wasn't on his side or he wasn't there at the right moment. Here, I don't think it's so much a psychological side, he just never had the confidence in the car.

"Qualifying started on a bad foot. Once you start to run behind the performance and you lose the confidence, it's super-difficult to catch up again and I think it would have been one session more and he would have been there or thereabouts but he didn't have any grip."

As for Antonelli's performance, and a new high for the Italian, Wolff said: "He just has the good momentum behind him. He's so young, there's this easiness that he still has. When you have such a positivity then these things can happen."