Russell says setbacks hit his 2026 season but acknowledges his performance fell short

Before the Singapore Grand Prix, George Russell said circumstances outside his control had disproportionately affected his 2026 season. The Mercedes driver also acknowledged that his own performance had not been strong enough.

Russell estimated that he had probably suffered more failures in 2026 than in the combined 2023–2025 seasons. He said every setback had affected his momentum and that he probably would have felt their impact more if he were still in the championship fight.

Russell cited an engine failure in Canada, a drive-through penalty in Monaco and power-unit problems at Silverstone and Spa that, he said, reduced engine performance. His engine failure in Malaysia ended his race and left him needing a new engine for Singapore, where he was set to start from the back of the grid. Russell said the Malaysia setback had effectively compromised both weekends for him, and that he was focusing on what he could control.

Both Mercedes drivers had suffered reliability problems in 2026. Russell retired in Malaysia as Kimi Antonelli finished second behind Max Verstappen, extending Antonelli’s lead over Russell in the drivers’ championship to 84 points.