George Russell: 2026 had 'more bad days than good' after Antonelli wins F1 title

George Russell has called 2026 the first season of his career with "more bad days than good", in a statement posted after his Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli won the Formula 1 world title at the Mexico City Grand Prix, GrandPrix247 reported. Russell, who started the year as a title contender, has slipped to fourth in the drivers' standings.

A bad weekend in Mexico

• Russell started from the front row but made a poor getaway because of a power unit problem.
• He was given a 10-second penalty for contact with Isack Hadjar on lap 1 and finished sixth.
• He skipped the post-race media session and was fined by the FIA for it.

Antonelli, 20, sealed the championship that night (our report), while Max Verstappen won the race.

What Russell said

In his statement Russell said his season had quickly unravelled through bad luck and poor performances, congratulated Antonelli, and said 2026 was not meant to be his year. He thanked Mercedes for the car and power unit and promised to work to get back to his best.

Team principal Toto Wolff took the blame on the team's behalf, saying Mercedes had "completely let him down" again and the car "just didn't work for him this year". Wolff said his job now is to give Russell the equipment and support to fight for a championship.

Why it matters

Russell and Antonelli are Mercedes team-mates, and the 20-year-old Italian has now beaten a driver eight years older in the same car in only his second season. How Mercedes handles the two of them in 2027 will be one of the stories of the winter. The remaining races of 2026 are about pride and second place for Russell, and about Mercedes securing the constructors' result. For F1 and other sport from around the world in Pakistan time, follow our sports desk.