Russell opens up: ‘2026 was not meant to be my year'

George Russell has broken his silence after a difficult Mexico City Grand Prix, sharing an unusually personal message with his supporters in which he admitted that 2026 is the first season in his career where he has “more bad days than good”.

A day after missing his post-race media commitments at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, the Mercedes driver turned to social media to speak openly about a campaign that has delivered considerably more frustration than fulfilment.

While team-mate Kimi Antonelli celebrated becoming Formula 1's youngest-ever world champion in Mexico, Russell was left reflecting on a season that has fallen well short of his expectations.

"Now feels like a pretty suitable moment to speak from the heart," he wrote.

Russell reflects on a season of setbacks

The contrast between Russell's ambitions and his reality has been stark. He opened 2026 with victory in Australia and followed it with success in the Chinese sprint, establishing himself as an early championship favourite.

But the momentum gradually disappeared. Antonelli took control of the standings in Japan and continued extending his advantage, leaving Russell watching his title aspirations unravel.

The 28-year-old made little attempt to disguise his disappointment.

"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.

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"All I know is that I’ve given it my all and 2026 was not meant to be my year. I want to sincerely congratulate Kimi on what has been an absolutely incredible season. You truly deserve the championship."

Despite the personal disappointment, Russell was gracious in recognising his team-mate's remarkable achievement, offering no hint of resentment towards the young Italian.

A promise to come back stronger

Russell also paid tribute to Mercedes for its collective efforts in returning to the front after four difficult seasons, acknowledging the machinery that has finally given the team a genuine championship-winning platform.

"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,” he added.

"Now, 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. Thanks all."

Russell's immediate task is to recover some momentum in the remaining races. His sixth-place finish in Mexico dropped him from second to fourth in the drivers' standings, but the fight for the runner-up position remains wide open, with just 16 points separating Max Verstappen in second from Charles Leclerc in fifth.

The championship may be gone, but Russell's determination to finish the season strongly is not.

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