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Russell says 2026 setbacks left him exhausted, urges deeper scrutiny at Mercedes

Conceptual AI-generated editorial motorsport illustration; not a documentary photograph or evidence that a pictured event, meeting or transfer occurred. · 2026-11-05GPBeat newsroom · News Made Clear generated illustration

After Mexico, Russell reviewed the season with his engineers and said only six races had been problem-free; 14 involved issues the team had thought were bad luck.

From the GPBeat newsroomPublished · · 1 min

George Russell says repeated setbacks during the 2026 Formula 1 season have left him exhausted. Speaking to the media at Interlagos on Thursday, the Mercedes driver said he had hoped to recover from setbacks perhaps twice during the season, rather than almost every other weekend. His comments came after teammate Kimi Antonelli became world champion in Mexico.

Russell said the Mexican Grand Prix was particularly hard after three consecutive weeks away from home. A chance of victory or a podium, he said, had disappeared beyond his control.

After Mexico, Russell and his engineers reviewed the season. He said only six races had been free of problems; in 14, they had encountered issues they had considered bad luck. Russell said the frequency called for deeper scrutiny, especially on Mercedes' side.

Sources 01
  1. SOURCEGeorge Russell opens up on mental exhaustion after frustrating 2026 F1 seasonMotorsport.com F1