George Russell says F1 title is “exceptionally unlikely” after Madrid setback
George Russell has admitted that winning the 2026 Formula 1 world championship is now “exceptionally unlikely” after Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli beat him for a fifth consecutive race at the Spanish Grand Prix.
Russell qualified sixth at the new Madring track, a result he attributed to the limits of his tyres after trying to push hard through Turn 11. His qualifying difficulties had already placed him on the back foot at a circuit where, as he later noted, qualifying carried particular weight. His explanation of the session is explored in George Russell’s account of his sixth-place Spanish GP qualifying struggle.
Strategy turned against Mercedes
The race became more complicated from the opening lap, when Russell and Oscar Piastri made contact. Although Russell appeared to escape damage, the early virtual safety car produced an unfavourable strategic sequence.
Russell had started on hard tyres and switched to mediums under the virtual safety car. Most of his rivals, starting on softer compounds, were able to move to the hards at a more advantageous moment. Russell said Mercedes had expected to run to around lap 40 before making its first stop, with Antonelli and the drivers on medium and soft tyres expected to pit around lap 15. Instead, the virtual safety car arrived on lap 14.
Only two of the 12 drivers who began on hard tyres pitted during the neutralisation: Russell and Fernando Alonso. Russell subsequently stopped again to return to the hard compound, which he described as his strongest tyre. He eventually finished fifth, behind Charles Leclerc, who stayed out during the early phase and made his stop on lap 48. Despite the Ferrari’s late pressure on new soft tyres, Leclerc narrowly held fourth.
“The performance was far better than the result,” Russell said, describing the Madrid race as “Monaco-esque” because qualifying was effectively decisive. He also accepted that remaining on the medium tyre would have been a significant gamble, while overtaking proved difficult for everyone.
Antonelli extends his advantage
Antonelli’s victory was his eighth of the season and his 12th podium in 14 grands prix. Across the last five rounds, his advantage over Russell has expanded from 25 points to 81, leaving the Mercedes driver with little room to recover in the remaining theoretical nine races.
“I’m not going to say it’s over, but it’s exceptionally unlikely that I’m in this fight,” Russell conceded. Rather than focus on the standings, he said he would concentrate on winning as many races as possible, one at a time.
Simone Scanu
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.