(Motorsport-Total.com) – Although George Russell started the 2026 Formula 1 season as a big favorite according to many experts, he is currently a full 59 points behind his teammate and championship leader Kimi Antonelli at the summer break. That equates to more than two race wins.
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Mercedes deputy team principal Bradley Lord explains in this context that Russell currently has it doubly difficult. Because precisely because he was assigned the role of favorite before the season, his performances are now being scrutinized particularly critically.
One must not underestimate, says Lord, “how big the challenge is for the drivers when they find themselves in such situations three or four times per weekend and hear: ‘You are the favorite, what’s going on? Why aren’t you delivering the expected performance?'”
Russell did win the season opener in Melbourne immediately – and as many expected. However, afterwards he only celebrated one more victory in Spielberg, while teammate Antonelli scored six wins in the same period, including five in a row between China and Monaco.
“I think George undoubtedly had technical bad luck in various races,” Lord recalls and explains: “For example in China, where the car didn’t start properly for a strange reason and thus affected his qualifying, or the penalty situation in Monaco, where the penalty was served incorrectly and this had further consequences.”
Did Russell really just have bad luck?
Additionally, the Brit retired from the lead in Montreal due to another defect, and in Spa a collision with Lewis Hamilton took him out of the race right after the start. Therefore, it is quite accurate that Russell lost a mid-double-digit number of points in the first half of the season through no fault of his own.
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However, the fact is that not everything went smoothly for championship leader Antonelli either. The Italian also recorded two unforced zero scores in Barcelona and Silverstone, for example. Therefore, it would be too simplistic to attribute Russell’s deficit exclusively to unlucky factors.
Where George Russell lost the most points in the 2026 championship battle
Nevertheless, Lord emphasizes that Russell should not be written off before the second half of the season. He explains: “I believe he is fully aware that he may not be exactly where he would like to be. But he is fighting for the drivers’ championship, which of course is the big goal for every driver.”
“As a team, we are fully focused on winning the constructors’ championship for the first time in five or six seasons, and he plays a crucial role in that as well,” says Lord, adding: “He ultimately has the best overall package this season so far, so this is the opportunity of a lifetime.
“And if he recovers and can then strike back for the second half of the season, I am really confident that we will see the very best from George,” emphasizes Lord.
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