{"id":4871,"date":"2026-11-02T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-11-02T20:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/?p=4871"},"modified":"2026-11-02T16:56:11","modified_gmt":"2026-11-02T19:56:11","slug":"more-bad-days-than-good-russell-opens-up-on-painful-f1-season-after-antonelli-wins-title","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/more-bad-days-than-good-russell-opens-up-on-painful-f1-season-after-antonelli-wins-title\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;More bad days than good&#8217;: Russell opens up on painful F1 season after Antonelli wins title"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">News Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>George Russell published an emotional message after missing his post-race media duties in Mexico<\/strong>, admitting that 2026 had been the most difficult season of his Formula 1 career.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Mercedes driver acknowledged poor performances, bad luck and repeated struggles to recover<\/strong>, saying the championship-winning season had not gone as he had hoped.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Russell congratulated Andrea Kimi Antonelli on his first world title<\/strong>, praised Mercedes for producing the best car and power unit and promised to fight back in 2027.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">George Russell has broken his silence with an emotional statement following the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix, admitting that <strong>he has experienced more bad days than good for the first time in his Formula 1 career<\/strong>. The Mercedes driver published the message on social media on Monday (November 2), a day after teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli secured the Drivers&#8217; World Championship and Russell left the circuit without completing his post-race media duties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Russell, who finished sixth in Mexico, acknowledged that his season had unravelled through a combination of disappointing performances and bad luck, while congratulating Antonelli and thanking Mercedes for providing a championship-winning car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/f1-2026-mexico-cidade-do-mexico-corrida-mercedes-george-russell-01-1-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"F1 2026, M\u00c9XICO, CIDADE DO M\u00c9XICO, CORRIDA, MERCEDES, GEORGE RUSSELL\" class=\"wp-image-1020320117\" srcset=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/f1-2026-mexico-cidade-do-mexico-corrida-mercedes-george-russell-01-1-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/f1-2026-mexico-cidade-do-mexico-corrida-mercedes-george-russell-01-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/f1-2026-mexico-cidade-do-mexico-corrida-mercedes-george-russell-01-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/f1-2026-mexico-cidade-do-mexico-corrida-mercedes-george-russell-01-1-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/f1-2026-mexico-cidade-do-mexico-corrida-mercedes-george-russell-01-1-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/f1-2026-mexico-cidade-do-mexico-corrida-mercedes-george-russell-01-1.jpg 1621w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">George Russell (Photo: Mercedes)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Russell admits 2026 has been his toughest F1 season<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Russell began his statement by explaining that he felt the time had come to speak openly about his difficult campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Now feels like a pretty suitable moment to speak from the heart,&#8221; he wrote on Instagram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The British driver admitted that the season had initially developed exactly as he hoped before his championship challenge deteriorated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;This season started off exactly how I had hoped but it very quickly unravelled with tough luck and poor performances,&#8221; Russell explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He described the experience as particularly difficult because he had never previously endured such an extended period of disappointing results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>&#8220;It&#8217;s been the first proper season of my career where I&#8217;ve had more bad days than good,&#8221;<\/strong> he admitted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Russell also acknowledged the psychological challenge of trying to recover from repeated setbacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He questioned how difficult it had been to motivate himself each weekend and admitted that confusion had sometimes accompanied the fluctuations in his performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite those difficulties, Russell insisted that he had given everything throughout the championship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>&#8220;All I know is that I&#8217;ve given it my all and 2026 was not meant to be my year,&#8221;<\/strong> he wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Wolff explains why Russell skipped Mexican GP interviews<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Russell&#8217;s statement followed an emotional Sunday at the Aut\u00f3dromo Hermanos Rodr\u00edguez.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Mercedes driver started second on the grid, alongside pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton, but suffered a problem with the electrical energy deployment from his power unit on the opening straight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The issue cost him several positions and compromised his race before he eventually finished sixth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Russell also received a ten-second penalty for a collision with Isack Hadjar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meanwhile, Antonelli finished third behind Max Verstappen and Hamilton, securing the championship with four rounds remaining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Russell congratulated his teammate in person after the race but did not participate in the mandatory post-race media activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mercedes excused him from those duties, resulting in a <strong>\u20ac5,000 fine from the FIA<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Team principal Toto Wolff subsequently explained that Russell had been deeply affected by the outcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wolff described the situation as an extremely difficult moment for a driver who had entered the season with genuine championship ambitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He also praised Russell for approaching Antonelli to congratulate him despite his disappointment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f1-2026-bahrein-malasia-corrida-mercedes-toto-wolff-1024x576.png\" alt=\"F1 2026, BAHREIN, MAL\u00c1SIA, CORRIDA, MERCEDES, TOTO WOLFF, ROSTO, RETRATO\" class=\"wp-image-1020317181\" srcset=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f1-2026-bahrein-malasia-corrida-mercedes-toto-wolff-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f1-2026-bahrein-malasia-corrida-mercedes-toto-wolff-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f1-2026-bahrein-malasia-corrida-mercedes-toto-wolff-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f1-2026-bahrein-malasia-corrida-mercedes-toto-wolff-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f1-2026-bahrein-malasia-corrida-mercedes-toto-wolff-1200x675.png 1200w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f1-2026-bahrein-malasia-corrida-mercedes-toto-wolff-150x84.png 150w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f1-2026-bahrein-malasia-corrida-mercedes-toto-wolff.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Toto Wolff (Photo: AFP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Russell congratulates Antonelli and praises Mercedes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Russell&#8217;s message contained no criticism of Antonelli.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead, the British driver recognised his teammate&#8217;s outstanding campaign and the achievement of becoming Formula 1&#8217;s youngest world champion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>&#8220;I want to sincerely congratulate Kimi on what has been an absolutely incredible season,&#8221;<\/strong> Russell wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;You truly deserve the Championship.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Antonelli secured the title at 20 years old, breaking Sebastian Vettel&#8217;s record from 2010 and ending Italy&#8217;s 73-year wait for a Formula 1 Drivers&#8217; World Championship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/antonelli-becomes-youngest-f1-world-champion-as-verstappen-wins-chaotic-2026-mexican-gp\/\">The Italian finished third in Mexico to become the youngest champion in F1 history<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Russell also paid tribute to Mercedes&#8217; engineers and employees, recognising the work involved in returning the team to championship-winning form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He thanked the organisation for producing what he described as the best car and power unit of the season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The British driver highlighted the four years of effort behind Mercedes&#8217; return to the front following the difficulties experienced under the previous technical regulations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His recognition of the team&#8217;s machinery is significant because Russell&#8217;s campaign has been marked by inconsistency, despite several outstanding performances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Russell promises to fight back in 2027<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although the championship is no longer within reach, Russell insisted that he remains determined to rediscover his strongest form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Mercedes driver said he would continue working throughout the remaining races of 2026 and into the following season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His objective is to reproduce the performances that have established him among Formula 1&#8217;s leading drivers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Russell also expressed hope that his fortunes would improve after a campaign affected by repeated setbacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The message follows his admission before the Mexican Grand Prix that Antonelli had simply performed at a higher level during the season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/antonelli-seals-f1-title-in-mexico-but-verstappen-and-hamilton-ignite-battle-for-second\/\">The latest championship standings after Mexico<\/a> place Russell fourth, behind Antonelli, Verstappen and Hamilton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The next scheduled race is the S\u00e3o Paulo Grand Prix on November 8, where Russell will have another opportunity to help Mercedes secure the Constructors&#8217; Championship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His social media statement makes clear that <strong>the disappointment of 2026 has not diminished his determination to compete at the front again<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>GRANDE PR\u00caMIO<\/strong> is following the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship, with breaking news, full coverage and real-time updates in its <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/\">Formula 1 section<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>George Russell admitted that his 2026 Formula 1 campaign unravelled through poor performances and bad luck, congratulating Mercedes teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli on the championship and promising to fight back in 2027.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1020320130,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"42wp_featured_image_caption":"George Russell and Andrea Kimi 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