George Russell’s 2026 season has not gone to plan. After winning the Australian Grand Prix, the 28-year-old has struggled to keep pace with team-mate Kimi Antonelli, who has taken five wins in six races between China and Monaco to lead the championship.
Russell has been hampered by a number of issues, including an engine failure in Canada, a pit-limiter software glitch in Monaco, an anti-stall launch problem in Hungary, and an energy deployment deficit compared to Antonelli.
Russell has acknowledged that the car “seems to work much better for Antonelli” and that his driving style is not helping.
Heading into the summer break, Antonelli leads on 219 points, with Hamilton second on 169 and Russell third on 160, 59 points off the lead.
Russell believes there is “still a long way to go,” but admits he cannot challenge for the title if current performances continue.
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