Russell shares emotional reflection as he admits 2026 ‘was not meant to be my year’

George Russell has opened up about the challenges of his 2026 campaign in an emotional social media post, admitting that the season has been one of the toughest of his career following Mercedes team mate Kimi Antonelli's World Championship triumph.

Russell took to Instagram on Monday to reflect on a year that had began with title ambitions but has since been marked by reliability issues and inconsistent performances, with the Briton acknowledging that he has struggled to rediscover his best form.

The post came a day after Antonelli secured his maiden Drivers' Championship at the Mexico City Grand Prix, becoming the youngest World Champion in Formula 1 history after finishing third behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton.

Russell, meanwhile, endured another frustrating afternoon at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, finishing sixth after a power deployment issue on the opening lap cost him several positions, while a subsequent collision with Isack Hadjar resulted in a 10-second time penalty.

Reflecting on his season, Russell wrote: "Now feels like a pretty suitable moment to speak from the heart.

"This season started off exactly how I had hoped but it very quickly unravelled with tough luck and poor performances. It’s been the first proper season of my career where I’ve had more bad days than good.

"Has it been tough to deal with? Yes, very. Has it been tough to pick myself up week in, week out? Yes, very. Confusion at times? Often. All I know is that I’ve given it my all and 2026 was not meant to be my year."

Russell began the campaign strongly with victory at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, but his championship challenge gradually faded as Antonelli established himself at the front of the field.

Despite victories in Austria and Azerbaijan, Russell has struggled to consistently extract the maximum performance from Mercedes' W17, with Team Principal Toto Wolff pointing to the car's narrow operating window as a contributing factor. His difficulties continued in Mexico City, where a power deployment issue compromised his race after narrowly missing out on pole position.

Following the Grand Prix, Wolff admitted that Russell was "distraught" about the outcome, praising the Briton for congratulating Antonelli despite his own disappointment.

In his Instagram message, Russell again paid tribute to his team mate, writing: "I want to sincerely congratulate Kimi on what has been an absolutely incredible season. You truly deserve the Championship."

He also acknowledged Mercedes' return to the front of the grid under the new regulations, thanking those involved in developing the championship-winning package.

"Thank you to the team for producing the best car and power unit this season; it’s been inspiring to see everyone coming together over four tough years to bring Mercedes back to the top," he added.

With four rounds remaining in the 2026 campaign, Russell is now looking to finish the season strongly before turning his attention to next year, when he and Antonelli are set to continue as Mercedes team mates.

He continued: "Now, all I can promise is that for the rest of this season, and into the next one, I will be giving my absolute all to rediscover the performance I have been capable of producing for the majority of my career and fingers crossed a little bit of luck returns. Thanks for all the support."