George Russell breaks silence after Kimi Antonelli’s title win: "More bad days than good"
After suffering a difficult run of results, George Russell speaks out on his 2026 struggles as he looks to reset for the final four races of the season.
At the Mexico Grand Prix, it was confirmed that Kimi Antonelli had secured the 2026 Formula 1 world championship for Mercedes.
However, on the other side of the garage, Antonelli’s teammate, George Russell, had to watch the other side of the Mercedes garage celebrate whilst he had been on a tough run of form.
Since his victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Russell has not featured inside the top five and has secured a best result of sixth place, which came at the Mexico Grand Prix.
After watching his teammate win the title, Russell spoke for the first time on his own social media and explained that during 2026 he has had ‘more bad days than good’.
In his post, Russell said, “Now feels like a pretty suitable moment to speak from the heart.
“This season started off exactly how I had hoped, but it very quickly unravelled with tough luck and poor performances. It’s been the first proper season of my career where I’ve had more bad days than good.”
This is the first time that has been heard from Russell since Antonelli claimed the title, as he chose to skip media duties after the Mexico Grand Prix, something that all Formula 1 drivers are obligated to do after a Grand Prix.
Mercedes decided to cover the €5,000 fine that Russell received for skipping his media duties, as Toto Wolff explained that Russell was ‘distraught’ due to the situation that the British driver is in.
"I saw George after the race on the FIA scales, and obviously he's distraught about the situation," Mercedes boss Wolff explained.
With four races left in the 2026 Formula 1 season, Russell will be hoping for a strong end to the year ahead of a potential title fight with Antonelli during the 2027 season, as both drivers will remain Mercedes teammates next year.
