George Russell blames poor performance for lost championship fight

A different explanation from Mercedes

George Russell broke his silence on social media 24 hours after Kimi Antonelli won the Formula 1 drivers’ title in Mexico City. While Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff blamed an "unexpected lack of deployment" on the opening straight for Russell’s struggles, the driver provided a different explanation entirely. Russell stated the season unraveled with "tough luck and poor performances," which takes blame for the result Wolff attempted to deflect toward the car. I find it striking that Russell admits to poor performances while Toto Wolff attributes the issues to the car. The discrepancy between the driver and the team principal is stark. Mercedes received a fine because Russell skipped media duties following his frustration with the power unit in Mexico. This silence in Mexico City lasted until his scheduled media appearance in Sao Paulo. The performance dip was hard to mask.

The Mercedes driver described 2026 as the first proper season of his career where he experienced more bad days than good. He noted that the year started exactly how he had hoped, following a dominant pole and win at the season opener in Australia. This momentum vanished as the campaign fell apart after that initial success. Russell admitted it was tough to pick himself up week in, week out during the difficult months and mentioned moments of confusion. He concluded that 2026 was simply not meant to be his year.

Difficulties throughout the season

Russell dealt with several specific setbacks that hindered his championship pursuit, including a retirement in Canada due to safety car timing and a breakdown in Q3 during the race in China. He also faced a breakdown from the lead in Montreal and issues in Japan. Russell admitted that while the season started with a dominant pole and win in Australia, the campaign quickly unraveled with tough luck and poor performances that made it hard to pick himself up week in, week out. These moments led him to feel in June that the gods did not want him in the fight. His earlier fatalism in June regarding the "gods" and his struggle to stay in the fight contrasts with his defiance before Mexico, where he told reporters the season would not break him.

He congratulated Kimi Antonelli, stating the Mercedes driver deserved the championship after an incredible season. Russell also thanked the team for producing the best car and power unit to bring Mercedes back to the top after four tough years. He promised to give his absolute all to rediscover his former performance and also noted he will stay with number 12.

The points gap heading to Brazil

The championship battle remains active for the remaining positions. The fight for second in the drivers’ standings remains at Verstappen 261, Hamilton 259, Russell 250, and Leclerc 245. Max Verstappen holds 261 points, while Lewis Hamilton follows with 259. Russell sits in fourth with 250 points, which is only five points above Charles Leclerc at 245. Mercedes can also wrap up the constructors’ title at Interlagos if they outscore Ferrari by at least three points. Russell will face the media in Sao Paulo this Thursday, marking his first media session since he left the circuit in Mexico without speaking to anyone.

Lando Norris holds 221 points in sixth, while Oscar Piastri follows with 150. Isack Hadjar sits in eighth with 105 points, and Liam Lawson has 79. Pierre Gasly holds 43 points. Franco Colapinto holds 31.