George Russell has described 2026 as the first season of his Formula 1 career in which he had more bad days than good ones. In an Instagram post, the Mercedes driver said a promising start gave way to a difficult run of bad luck and underwhelming performances. He also congratulated teammate Kimi Antonelli on becoming world champion.
Russell missed media duties after Sunday’s Mexico City Grand Prix. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said the Briton was “devastated” by how the race had unfolded. Russell started from the front row and made a strong launch, but a sudden loss of speed sent him down the order. He finished sixth, and Wolff acknowledged that the team had let him down.
“This season started exactly as I expected, but quickly fell apart because of a run of bad luck and poor performances,” Russell wrote. He said it had been difficult to handle the setbacks and rebuild his confidence from week to week, adding that he had given his best despite periods of confusion.
Russell had entered the season as a title favourite with bookmakers. He had already won races and was Mercedes’ more experienced driver, while the 20-year-old Antonelli was competing in only his second Formula 1 championship.
The outcome was different from expectations: Antonelli won nine races, compared with Russell’s three, and secured the title with four rounds remaining. The article describes him as the youngest world champion in the series’ history and the first Italian to win the championship in 73 years.
Despite the competition between them, Russell praised Antonelli’s season and said he deserved the title. He added that he would give everything in the remaining races of 2026 and next season to regain the form he had shown through much of his career, while hoping for better luck.
Sources: CNN Brasil.