News Summary
- George Russell qualified second for the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix, finishing just 0.009s behind former Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton.
- The British driver admitted he is still struggling to get the best out of his Mercedes, describing recent races and the Mexican weekend as particularly difficult.
- Russell said his final Q3 lap demonstrated the car’s potential, despite his frustration with its inconsistent performance.
George Russell admitted that he is still struggling to understand the behaviour of his Mercedes despite missing pole position for the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix by just 0.009s on Saturday (31). The British driver qualified second with a 1:16.523, narrowly losing out to former teammate Lewis Hamilton, who secured his first Grand Prix pole for Ferrari.
Russell acknowledged that his recent performances had been affected by difficulties with the W17, but expressed satisfaction at producing a competitive lap during the decisive qualifying session.
Russell admits Mercedes has been difficult to manage
Asked whether he was satisfied with second place, Russell acknowledged the difficulties he has experienced in recent rounds.
“I am, I am. It’s been a tricky few races for me and still struggling to get on top of this car,” Russell said after qualifying.
The Mercedes driver explained that the Mexican weekend had been particularly challenging until his final attempt in Q3.
Russell had finished third in Friday’s FP2 but dropped to seventh during final practice, more than half a second behind Lando Norris.
However, he recovered in qualifying and came within nine thousandths of a second of beating Hamilton.
“To almost get pole… it was very close in the end. I always know it’s in there,” he added.
The result gave Russell a front-row start alongside Hamilton, who ended a 1,197-day pole drought and became the fifth-oldest polesitter in Formula 1 history.
Russell faces crucial race as Antonelli approaches F1 title
Russell’s second place also comes at a decisive moment in the Drivers’ Championship.
Mercedes teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli qualified fifth on outright pace but moves to fourth on the provisional grid following Max Verstappen’s one-place penalty.
Antonelli arrived in Mexico leading Russell by 123 points after winning the United States Grand Prix at Austin.
The Italian needs to finish ninth or higher in Sunday’s race to guarantee the championship, regardless of his rivals’ results.
Russell, meanwhile, must win and hope Antonelli fails to score enough points to keep the title contest mathematically alive.
The British driver will start alongside Hamilton, whose Ferrari demonstrated strong qualifying pace despite a power unit problem interrupting his Friday preparations.
The Mexican Grand Prix takes place on Sunday, November 1, at 14:00 local time, corresponding to 20:00 GMT in the United Kingdom.
GRANDE PRÊMIO is following every session of the Mexican Grand Prix this weekend, with breaking news, full coverage and real-time updates in its Formula 1 section.
