RacingNews365 poll: Most respondents see Russell's 2026 title bid as over

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Archive photograph: George Russell · Chinese Grand Prix qualifying, Shanghai 2026 · 2026-03-14Archive photo · 2026-03-14 · Liauzh · CC BY 4.0

In a RacingNews365 reader poll, 63.67% chose the option that Kimi Antonelli was certain to win the title; 3.37% still saw time for George Russell to mount a comeback.

From the GPBeat newsroomPublished · 08 Oct 2026, 14:47 · 1 min

Most respondents to a RacingNews365 reader poll saw George Russell's 2026 title bid as over. A total of 63.67% chose the option that Kimi Antonelli was certain to win the championship. Another 32.96% considered the title race nearly settled but not over, while 3.37% thought Russell still had time to mount a comeback.

A podium finish was still within reach when a power-unit failure ended Russell's race in Malaysia. Mercedes switched off his car. He scored no points, while Antonelli finished on the podium. After 16 rounds, Russell trailed his Mercedes team-mate by 84 points.

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