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George Russell appears to have conceded the 2026 title fight to his Mercedes teammate, Andrea Kimi Antonelli. While the Italian secured his eighth Formula 1 victory of the season at the brand-new Madring circuit, Russell finished a disappointing fifth.
Following a controlled drive from Antonelli, where he held off Max Verstappen for much of the race before pulling away from the Dutchman and Lando Norris in the closing stages, the 20-year-old's lead at the top of the standings has now stretched to 81 points.
His closest challenger, Russell, avoided damage after contact with Oscar Piastri on the opening lap, but a virtual safety car on lap 14 allowed rivals around him to switch to the 'better' hard tires, while the Briton opted for mediums. Russell had to pit again later in the race and revert to hard tires on his way to fifth place – 29 seconds behind race winner Antonelli.
Reflecting on his race, Russell initially told the media: “Just a very frustrating moment with the safety car. We were hoping to get to lap 40, we knew Kimi and the medium and soft runners would pit around lap 15, and the safety car came out on lap 14, so…”
Russell was then asked why he had questioned Mercedes' strategy during the race, but stated that he would likely have finished fifth anyway on a track where overtakes proved very difficult.
Russell continued: “The hard tire was by far the better one for me. It would have been a big risk to stay out on the medium. I thought I had nothing to lose. Ultimately, I think I would have finished where I finished. So it's a bit of a shame. A very difficult track to overtake, which I guess was annoying for everyone.”
With the gap to his teammate in the standings wider than ever, Russell was later asked to assess his title chances. The 28-year-old offered a bleak outlook, claiming it is now “extremely unlikely” he will have a shot at the Drivers' Championship.
He said: “I'm not going to say it's over, but it's extremely unlikely that I'm in that fight. I'm not even thinking about being in the fight because I don't think I am.”
On the other hand, Russell suggested there is now less pressure on him for the remainder of the 2026 season. “It almost allows me to focus on each race individually and just try to win as much as possible. Whatever happens, happens, but… Yeah, that's the situation right now,” he concluded.
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