Russell admits '2026 was not meant to be my year' after Antonelli clinches Mercedes title

George Russell has publicly reflected on his troubled 2026 Formula 1 season, posting a candid message to fans after Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli sealed his maiden world championship at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City. Russell had skipped the post-race media duties following the Mexican Grand Prix before addressing supporters directly on social media.

“This season started off exactly how I had hoped but it very quickly unravelled with tough luck and poor performances,” Russell wrote. “It’s been the first proper season of my career where I’ve had more bad days than good.”

The 28-year-old Briton had entered the season as the championship favourite, winning the opening round in Australia and the Chinese sprint race. That early momentum faded, however, as Antonelli assumed the lead of the standings in Japan and steadily extended his advantage across the remainder of the year.

Despite the personal disappointment, Russell was generous in his praise for his team-mate. “I want to sincerely congratulate Kimi on what has been an absolutely incredible season. You truly deserve the championship,” he said. He also credited Mercedes as a whole, adding: “Thank you to the team for producing the best car and power unit this season; it’s been inspiring to see everyone coming together over four tough years to bring Mercedes back to the top.”

Looking ahead, Russell struck a determined note. “All I can promise is that for the rest of this season, and into the next one, I will be giving my absolute all to rediscover the performance I have been capable of producing for the majority of my career — and fingers crossed a little bit of luck returns.”

Russell’s championship ambitions are not entirely over. A sixth-place finish in Mexico dropped him from second to fourth in the drivers’ standings, but only 16 points separate Max Verstappen in second from Charles Leclerc in fifth, leaving the battle for the runner-up position tightly contested heading into the final races of the season.