“I’ve never had an F1 season like this,” George Russell shares what’s caused his tough 2026.
George Russell has opened up about the challenges he’s faced during his tough 2026 season. The Mercedes driver, who is far behind his young teammate Kimi Antonelli in the title race, said, “I’ve never had a season like this in my career.”
Before this weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix, the British driver shared what’s been holding him back and how he’s working to improve. At the start of the season, Russell was seen as a top contender and even won the opening race in Melbourne. But since then, things haven’t gone his way, with Antonelli pulling ahead as the clear leader. Although Russell has won three races this year, his overall performance hasn’t matched up to his teammate’s.
Russell explained that his difficulties partly come down to adapting to the Mercedes W17 car. At the pre-race press conference, he said, “There are a few things about the car this year that suit some driving styles but make it harder for others.” He added, “My driving style focuses on the middle to end of the corners, where I go on the throttle earlier than most. With the new power units having bigger electric motors, this means I often use more energy, which isn’t the most efficient way to drive the car.”
He also pointed out that the tyre pressures, especially at the rear, have been very high this year. “Pirelli has taken a few PSI off, especially on the rear axle, which makes it harder for the rear tyres to handle the power,” he said. “These two main things—power unit and tyre pressure—have made it tough for my natural driving style and probably explain my struggles this season.”
Now, Russell is focused on keeping his second place in the championship, even though Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, and Charles Leclerc are close behind. He said consistency will be key: “A few races ago, we were on pole by eight tenths and won the race, but then last week I finished eighth. I’ve never had a season where my performance jumps around this much.”
He believes the potential is there because “you can’t win races like Baku if you’ve ‘lost it’. We just can’t seem to hit our best form regularly, and we don’t really know why.” His main goal for the final races is to find that steady pace.
Mercedes has had trouble getting the most out of its latest car upgrade ever since Antonelli’s win last week in Austin, where Russell ended up near the back of the top 10. Reflecting on this, Russell said, “Since we brought the new package in Malaysia, it’s been tough. Kimi has had some strong weekends with it, but I’ve struggled. The upgrade works well only in a very narrow range, so my focus now is on learning how to get into that range more often.”
Overall, Russell remains determined and hopeful as he pushes to make the most of the remaining races this season.