Russell congratulates Antonelli: ‘2026 was not meant to be my year’

George Russell congratulated his Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli on his maiden Formula 1 title in a message to fans after the Mexican Grand Prix. Russell had missed the post-race media sessions; that absence appears to have prompted his message.

Russell said 2026 began as he had hoped but quickly unravelled amid tough luck and poor performances. He described it as the first proper season of his career with more bad days than good, while saying he had given everything and that Antonelli deserved the championship.

That difficult assessment followed a promising start. Russell entered 2026 as a clear title favourite, won the season-opening Australian Grand Prix and the sprint race in China. Antonelli then took the championship lead in Japan and extended his advantage.

Russell said he would give his all for the remainder of 2026 and into 2027 to rediscover the performance he says he has been capable of producing for most of his career, while hoping luck would return. His sixth-place finish in Mexico dropped him from second to fourth in the standings. He remains in the fight for second: 16 points separate Verstappen in second and Leclerc in fifth.