George Russell has admitted that the characteristics of the 2026 Formula 1 cars have worked against his natural driving style, helping explain why he has struggled to match Mercedes teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli throughout the season. With the Italian now on the verge of securing the world championship, the British driver has identified two major technical factors behind his difficulties: the energy management demands of the new power units and the unusually high rear tyre pressures.
Speaking at the press conference ahead of the Mexico City Grand Prix, George Russell reflected on what has been his most difficult season since joining Mercedes. While Andrea Kimi Antonelli has dominated the 2026 campaign with nine victories, the Briton has managed only three, with periods of strong performance interrupted by significant drops in results and confidence behind the wheel. His difficulties have become particularly apparent in the contrast between the two Mercedes drivers at the United States Grand Prix.
George Russell explains why the 2026 F1 cars hinder his driving style
George Russell’s main objective during the final races will be to preserve Mercedes’ dominance at the top of the drivers’ championship by securing at least second place in the standings. However, achieving that result will require him to regain the consistency that has appeared only intermittently throughout the season.
At the Mexico City press conference, George Russell explained that he has never developed the same natural connection with the Mercedes W17 that Andrea Kimi Antonelli has demonstrated throughout the championship. He believes the characteristics of the 2026 generation of cars have created specific disadvantages for his preferred approach to driving.
“I think with these cars there are just certain factors that can favour or hinder a driving style,” George Russell explained to the media.
“I’ve always been a driver who focuses on mid-corner speed and corner exit, and that often means getting on the throttle early. And with these new power units, that means using more energy, and sometimes that’s not the most efficient way to manage the power unit.”
The British driver then identified another factor that has complicated his ability to extract performance from the Mercedes W17: the operating requirements of the rear tyres.
“Secondly, this year the rear tyre pressures have always been very high, and again, by pushing on corner exit, that has worked against me in terms of management. These two factors have hindered my natural driving style, and I think that’s been the most important aspect this season.”
George Russell’s explanation highlights how the 2026 technical regulations have changed the relationship between driving technique, energy deployment and tyre management. His preference for carrying speed through the middle of a corner and accelerating early has become less effective under the new power unit requirements, while the rear tyre pressures have introduced further complications when pushing on corner exit.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli has found greater harmony with the current generation of cars, allowing him to extract more consistent performance from the same Mercedes package. The difference between their approaches has been apparent throughout the season, with the Italian enjoying a considerable advantage in both results and championship position.
George Russell admits Mercedes performance swings have been unprecedented
For George Russell, the remaining Grands Prix and the winter break will be crucial opportunities to recover the consistency that has been missing from his 2026 campaign. His performances have fluctuated dramatically, sometimes from one race weekend to the next, leaving him searching for an explanation.
“I think it’s important for me to try to find some consistency. A couple of races ago we were on pole by eight tenths, while last week I finished eighth,” George Russell said.
“I’ve never seen such big variations in performance in my career. I think the priority in these final races is to understand why all of this is happening.”
The scale of those fluctuations has made the season particularly frustrating for the Mercedes driver, especially given the underlying competitiveness of the W17. His difficulties were evident in Austin, where Toto Wolff addressed the reasons behind George Russell’s struggles compared with Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Mercedes upgrades create another challenge for George Russell
Complicating the situation further is an upgrade package that has proved more difficult to understand than Mercedes originally anticipated. In a season already characterised by a challenging relationship between George Russell’s driving style and the W17, the latest developments have added another layer of complexity.
“Since we introduced this new package, everything has been a bit strange. In Malaysia, it was a difficult weekend for both of us, then Kimi had it on his car in Singapore and again didn’t have an easy weekend.”
However, the United States Grand Prix produced a very different outcome for the two Mercedes drivers. Andrea Kimi Antonelli managed to rediscover his competitiveness, securing pole position and victory, while George Russell continued to struggle with the updated car.
“I had it in Austin, and I struggled a lot, while he had a very strong race. We’ve noticed that it works in a very narrow window, so we need to try to widen that window, and from my side I need to focus on getting into that window.”
The comments suggest that the updated Mercedes package can deliver excellent performance when operating within the correct conditions, but that finding those conditions consistently remains difficult. Andrea Kimi Antonelli succeeded in extracting the car’s potential at Austin, whereas George Russell could not reproduce the same level of competitiveness.
The contrast was also evident in the race itself, where Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s consistency and race management stood out against George Russell’s difficult performance. Understanding the operating window of the Mercedes W17 will therefore be an important priority for the British driver during the remaining rounds.
George Russell admits Kimi Antonelli has been on another level in 2026
The substantial championship gap between the two Mercedes drivers also reflects the fact that there has never been a genuine title battle between them this season. With Andrea Kimi Antonelli approaching the world championship, George Russell openly acknowledged that his teammate has simply performed at a higher level.
Despite the competitive imbalance, the Briton does not believe their relationship needs to suffer. He explained that rivalries often develop following incidents or direct battles on track, neither of which has been a recurring feature of their season.
“On a personal level, Kimi is a good guy with a lot of energy. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t continue to have a good relationship,” the Mercedes driver said.
“I think a lot of rivalries start from incidents or battles on track, but the truth is that this year he’s been on another level compared to me. Apart from one or two races, we’ve never really been in those situations, so we’ll continue to work independently with our engineers to try to extract the maximum.”
Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s nine victories have placed him within touching distance of the world championship, with his dominant Austin victory bringing the 2026 title even closer. For George Russell, the objective is now different: understand why the latest Formula 1 regulations have worked against his driving style, improve his consistency and secure the strongest possible finish to a difficult season.
The final races will offer Mercedes another opportunity to refine its understanding of the upgraded W17, while George Russell attempts to find the narrow operating window that has so often proved elusive. With his teammate setting the benchmark, the British driver knows that improving his own performance will depend on addressing both the technical limitations of the package and the demands imposed by his natural driving approach.
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