Russell says 2026 brought more bad days than good

George Russell described 2026 as the first proper season of his career with “more bad days than good.” He posted the reflection on Instagram on Monday evening after the Mexican Grand Prix.

Russell said the year began as he had hoped but was soon disrupted by poor performances and bad luck. He described the season as hard to handle and said he had often felt confused. He also wrote that he had given everything, even though 2026 was not meant to be his year.

At the Mexican Grand Prix, an energy-delivery issue on the opening straight dropped Russell from the front row to sixth by Turn 1. Later contact with Isack Hadjar led to a 10-second penalty.

Russell congratulated team-mate Kimi Antonelli on his championship, saying he deserved the title. He thanked Mercedes for what he described as the season’s best car and power unit, and said it had been inspiring to see the team return to the top after four difficult years.

Russell has won the Australian Grand Prix and two more races in the next 18 grands prix. He is fourth in the standings on 250 points; fourth is also his best final championship position, achieved in 2022 and 2025. He said he would give his all for the rest of 2026 and into 2027 to rediscover the performance he had been capable of producing for most of his career, while hoping for better luck.