Former Formula 1 driver and Sky Sports analyst Martin Brundle believes George Russell is currently "floundering" in his efforts to outpace his Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli.
The Briton suggested Russell could be struggling to adapt to the handling characteristics of the new regulation machinery.
Following the departure of the ground effect era, Brundle noted that the newer generation of F1 cars requires a completely different driving style.
"I think George has gone from the ground effect era to these new cars. They are a bit more flighty," Brundle explained on the Sky Sports F1 broadcast during the British Grand Prix weekend.
"I don't think he's scared of a car that moves around but in terms of the absolute pace he can't quite make it work.
"I have no doubt he has the talent and the bravery and the experience, but he's keeping himself in contention at the moment through experience and determination.
"If you're going to win the world championship, you need to be the fastest as well, and right now he's not in that team. I think he's floundering a little bit as to know how to change that."
Russell took the early lead of the championship after winning the season-opening Australian Grand Prix and the Chinese sprint race. His team-mate then became the youngest driver to lead the standings after back-to-back wins at the Chinese and Japanese Grands Prix.
The 19-year-old continued his success with further wins at the Miami, Canadian and Monaco Grands Prix. Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton stopped Antonelli's winning streak with his first grand prix win as a Ferrari driver at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.
Russell claimed his second grand prix victory of the season at the Austrian Grand Prix last week, but Antonelli seems to be back on top at Silverstone. While Hamilton secured pole position for the sprint race, the Ferrari driver was unable to hold off the Italian driver, who went on to win the 17-lap race.
Antonelli now leads the drivers' championship with 179 points. Russell is second with 136 points and Hamilton sits third with 132 points.
