Russell says it was just not his year, congratulates Antonelli
The Briton started the year as the bookmakers' title favourite, ahead of 20-year-old Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli in only his second season.
Russell expressed on Monday that 2026 was not his year, praising Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli for becoming Formula One's youngest champion. The British driver was excused from media duties following the Mexico City Grand Prix, with team principal Toto Wolff stating that Russell was distraught over his performance. Russell started the race from the front row but a sudden slowdown cost him several positions.
He finished the race in sixth place, with Wolff attributing the team's failure to let him down. Russell detailed his season in an Instagram post, noting that it started well but quickly unraveled due to unfortunate circumstances and poor results. He admitted that it was the first season of his career with more bad days than good, and described it as both tough and frustrating.
Despite the challenges, Russell expressed gratitude for giving his all during the season and hoped for a return of his previous performance levels in the future.
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- Russell says it was just not his year, congratulates Antonelli freemalaysiatoday.com
- Russell says it was just not his year, congratulates Antonelli nst.com.my
- Russell ‘distraught’ as Antonelli seals title; Mercedes fined for media no-show indianexpress.com
- Russell says it was just not his year, congratulates Antonelli channelnewsasia.com
