For the driver many expected to win this year’s title, second place holds little appeal.
George Russell said finishing second in the Formula 1 standings would not mean anything after finishing a disappointing eighth at the U.S. Grand Prix on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026.
What did George Russell say about second place?
Winning the constructors’ championship for Mercedes is the main goal, Russell said. He would like to finish best of the rest, he added, but second, third or fifth is not champion, so it means nothing to him.
He described his race as six good laps followed by 50 bad ones and called his penalty somewhat ridiculous, though he said it was the least of his worries after such a poor weekend.
Why did George Russell struggle in Austin?
George Russell, 28, was hit with an early penalty of five seconds and could not get past McLaren’s Oscar Piastri to climb from eighth. Eighth was the bare minimum he needed to keep his title hopes alive mathematically.
He said his teammate Kimi Antonelli was exceptionally competitive and suggested the car’s ideal operating window may be very small. He hoped that explained his lack of pace, saying he needs to believe in his team because it is hard to understand being so far off.
Antonelli won comfortably, finishing well clear of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Antonelli started from pole and controlled the race with a single pit stop.
Where does the championship stand?
Antonelli leads Russell by 123 points, with Lewis Hamilton one point further back. Max Verstappen and Leclerc are both within 10 points of Russell, putting second place in the standings up for grabs.
Antonelli could clinch the title in Mexico City next weekend by finishing ninth or better. He holds a commanding lead with only a handful of races left.
How did Toto Wolff defend George Russell?
A former Red Bull adviser said this week that he doubted Russell would ever get another shot at the title after being overtaken as Mercedes’ top driver.
The Mercedes team principal rejected that view, saying the adviser was wrong about Russell. Russell has all the ability, he said, but the car does not suit him. He described Russell as a champion in the eyes of everyone on the team, noting that he has won in every category he has raced in.
He said it was hard for Russell to cope with expecting this to be his year, only to see a young star on the other side of the garage begin to chip away. Given a fast car next season, he said, George Russell has everything needed to win a championship.
The team principal also took the blame for Russell’s deficit. When the car is set up the way Russell likes, he is fine, but when it drops out of its operating window, he struggles more than Antonelli, and that is on the team, he said.
He insisted Russell is not several tenths of a second slower than Antonelli and said the team must figure out how to modify the car and its setup so he can go fast.
What is next for George Russell?
Russell entered 2026 as the heavy favorite in the grid’s fastest car, but his young teammate turned the tables. The final races will be about helping Mercedes secure the constructors’ title and fighting off rivals for second. Antonelli, still a teenager when he joined Mercedes, has won nine races this season.
For George Russell, the bigger question may be whether Mercedes can give him a car that suits him next season. The team’s car development for next season will be closely watched.
