Dutch Formula 1 analyst and former driver Jan Lammers has stated that George Russell’s current approach is ‘only causing damage’ to his season. Lammers believes Russell is no longer the fastest driver at Mercedes. This assessment comes amidst a challenging 2026 Formula 1 season for Russell.
Russell, driving for Mercedes, has faced significant struggles against his teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli during the current campaign. Antonelli currently leads the Drivers’ Championship with 219 points. Russell sits third in the standings with 160 points, 59 points behind Antonelli.
The British driver secured victories at the Australian Grand Prix and the Austrian Grand Prix earlier this season. However, Antonelli has achieved five wins in six races between the Chinese Grand Prix and the Monaco Grand Prix.
Russell’s season has been affected by multiple technical issues and incidents. He experienced an engine failure due to a battery issue at the Canadian Grand Prix, resulting in a retirement. Mercedes technical director James Allison confirmed ‘heat damage’ contributed to this ‘catastrophic’ battery failure.
Further setbacks include a pit-limiter software glitch during the Monaco Grand Prix. At the Hungarian Grand Prix, Russell suffered an anti-stall launch problem, dropping him to 21st position. Toto Wolff expressed dissatisfaction with this latest Mercedes problem.
Russell was also involved in a collision with Lewis Hamilton at the Belgian Grand Prix, which forced him to retire from the race. Reports indicated a software issue also affected his straight-line speed in Belgium.
Former Haas Team Principal Guenther Steiner has offered a stark outlook on Russell’s title prospects. Steiner believes Russell has only a ‘five per cent’ chance of becoming the 2026 world champion.
Christian Fittipaldi criticised Russell for suggesting the 2026 title was Antonelli’s to lose, interpreting it as ‘throwing in the towel’. Martin Brundle previously advised Russell to outperform Antonelli for a ‘psychological’ advantage.
Russell has acknowledged that the car ‘seems to work much better for Antonelli’ and that his driving style is not currently beneficial. He stated he has ‘never experienced a season like this’ due to the string of issues.
Despite these challenges, Russell maintains there is ‘still a long way to go’ in the season. He concedes, however, that he cannot challenge for the championship if his current performance trend continues.
‘It is very clear that Russell is simply driving slower, just by himself.’
