Russell haemorrhages 90 points to Verstappen in five races as Mercedes plots rescue plan

George Russell’s bid to finish as Formula 1 runner-up in 2026 is in serious jeopardy after a catastrophic five-race stretch that has seen him concede 90 points to Max Verstappen, leaving him third in the standings with three rounds remaining.

The deficit is stark: Russell has scored just 26 points across Malaysia, Singapore, Austin, Mexico and São Paulo, while Verstappen accumulated 116 over the same stretch. The run has been defined by misfortune and error in equal measure — a power unit failure in Malaysia, a sprint crash and engine penalty in Singapore, a poor race in Austin, a deployment issue in Mexico, and a spin at pit exit in Brazil when he was otherwise running well.

Russell sits on 262 points, one ahead of former Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton (261) and 17 clear of Charles Leclerc (249), with Lando Norris (246) also in the mix. Verstappen leads the group on 279. The standings were reshuffled after Kimi Antonelli clinched his maiden world title in Mexico, leaving the vice-championship a five-way contest heading into Qatar and Abu Dhabi — assuming both rounds proceed as planned.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, speaking after the Brazilian Grand Prix where the Silver Arrows wrapped up the constructors’ championship — their ninth in Formula 1 — acknowledged the team must now actively support Russell’s push for second place.

“I haven’t thought about the drivers’ championship yet,” Wolff said. “We absolutely want him to score the maximum and hopefully finish second, and we need to think about what we’re going to do about it, but it could be a possibility that we’re giving it all the force.”

Wolff was also keen to contextualise Russell’s difficult run within a broader picture of a season that has delivered Mercedes the constructors’ title — a crown Russell contributed to significantly. The team principal pointed to Brazil qualifying as a microcosm of the Briton’s misfortune: Russell dominated a wet session before losing pole position on his final lap.

“He had it so tough at times, and yesterday was a good example,” Wolff said. “He was absolutely dominating the wet qualifying, he should have been on pole easily, and then this last lap took away his pole position.”

Wolff remained bullish about Russell’s long-term trajectory, framing the current slump as a formative rather than defining moment. “All the very best sportspeople have gone through difficult periods, and that’s going to be part of his continued development,” he said.

Mercedes’ constructors’ triumph at Interlagos was the team’s second with Russell, who also contributed three points to their 2020 title when he deputised for Hamilton at the Sakhir Grand Prix. Whether the team can now convert that collective success into an individual honour for their lead driver will depend on a clean sweep of results — and a reversal of the misfortune that has defined his recent form.