George Russell reveals psychological struggles during Singapore victory

George Russell told Austrian broadcaster ORF Sport that his 2025 Singapore Grand Prix victory involved significant private difficulties. When shown photographs of him and his partner, Carmen Montero Mundt, celebrating at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, the Mercedes driver admitted that "not many people know" what occurred away from the track. He explained that "psychologically, my brain was quite busy" during that weekend. The driver noted that Montero Mundt supported him through the "moments off the track that I was dealing with." During the 2025 Singapore Grand Prix weekend, George Russell told Austrian broadcaster ORF Sport that many people remained unaware of the psychological pressure he faced while his partner, Carmen Montero Mundt, supported him off the track. This victory in 2025 provided a reprieve from his 2023 performance at the same track, where he crashed on the final lap while running third and lost a likely podium. Russell stated that the moment meant much to him because Montero Mundt was there through the off-track difficulties he managed.

2026 misfortune and championship gaps

The 2026 campaign has brought frequent setbacks for Russell, including engine failures in Sepang. During the 2026 Singapore Grand Prix weekend, Russell crashed during the Sprint while leading and subsequently finished the race in ninth place. This result adds to a season where he has struggled to match the pace of his teammate, Kimi Antonelli.

Russell sits second in the drivers’ standings with 238 points, trailing Kimi Antonelli by 102 points. Hamilton occupies third place with 229 points. Antonelli has achieved eight wins this season, whereas Russell has only managed three. Entering the season, Russell was the favourite to take the title, but he now faces a significant deficit. He previously told media during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend that he intends to "keep fighting every single race until it’s mathematically impossible" to catch his teammate. Because he prioritizes performance, he noted that he puts pressure on himself from a performance perspective. To keep his title hopes alive, Russell must win the upcoming race in Austin while Antonelli finishes ninth or lower. The title battle will continue to the Mexican Grand Prix if Antonelli wins or finishes higher than ninth. Russell admitted in July that battling Antonelli is "very tough." He also told the media that he wants to "try and win every single race and put it on pole every single race."