With all-new cars and power units, George Russell left the first round of the season in Australia believing it was finally his time to be crowned F1’s drivers’ champion. The British driver had served his apprenticeship at an uncompetitive Williams team from 2019–2021 before getting the call-up from on high from Mercedes to replace Lewis Hamilton’s wingman, Valtteri Bottas, in 2022.
Russell had finished plumb last in the drivers’ title race during his first season in the sport, but became known as “Mr. Saturday” for his ability to drag the Williams car beyond its deserved position during qualifying on Saturdays.
He saw off the returning Robert Kubica 17-3 in qualifying during his rookie season, and then Nicholas Latifi by similar margins over the next two years. Despite Lewis Hamilton making it known he preferred the team retain the services of Bottas for 2022, Toto Wolff decided it was time to bring in fresh blood and Russell now got his big break.
The Early Mercedes Years
Whilst George couldn’t repeat his dominant performances over his teammate in qualifying that season, he did finish ahead of seven-times champion Lewis Hamilton in the 2022 championship. Most F1 pundits put this down to the fact that Hamilton was suffering the hangover from his Mercedes team’s poor decision in the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix not to pit under the safety car, and the subsequent crushing last-lap championship defeat he suffered at the hands of Max Verstappen.
In their second season together, Russell suffered a number of DNFs and self-inflicted poor race weekends which saw Hamilton win the inter-team rivalry. But come what was to be their final year together, Russell was once again top dog in the Mercedes garage.
He dominated qualifying, beating Hamilton 18-6, and became only the second teammate to Lewis to best the seven-times champion in the championship across three racing seasons together. The other was Jenson Button when the pair were together at McLaren.
The Arrival of Antonelli
Then, with the shock news that Hamilton was leaving for Ferrari due to Toto Wolff refusing to give him a long-term commitment, Russell was now top dog at the Brackley based team with a teenage rookie being recruited as his teammate. Kimi Antonelli had been rushed through his junior formulae racing career, having competed in just one season in International F2 with Prema.
A number of paddock pundits believed this was a reaction to the fact that Toto Wolff had passed on a 16-year-old Max Verstappen and had lived with the regret ever since. Antonelli had enjoyed an average season in F2, finishing the year an unimpressive sixth in the championship.
By way of comparison, George Russell had won both GP3 and GP2 (now F3 and F2) championships on his way to F1, and it appeared the difference in the capabilities of the two would indeed be marked. And so it was. Barring his first podium in Canada (P3), Antonelli made a multiplicity of mistakes and failed to score from round 7 to round 14 during his debut season.
He finished the season with just 170 points, whilst George had racked up almost double with 319. With Mercedes persistently reported to have the best car and engine package for 2026, Russell left Melbourne with the race win under his belt and the confidence that this would be the year he finally became world champion.
The Turning Point in Shanghai
The bandwagon rolled on into Shanghai with Russell claiming Sprint pole alongside winning the short-form race. Then in Grand Prix qualifying, George suffered a glitch with his Mercedes power unit on his first run in Q3.
Without a banker lap on the timing sheets, Russell was forced to drive somewhat within himself on the final run, allowing his teammate to become the youngest-ever driver to claim an F1 pole position.
No one was to know this would be the beginning of a five-race weekend domination by Antonelli, whilst his teammate was left in his wake, explaining week in and week out why he was slower.
Russell has bemoaned the fact that certain tracks like Miami don’t suit his driving style and, more recently, that the all-new 2026 cars don’t suit him. The latest reasoning from Russell as to why he was not competitive at the British Grand Prix was that his car was too slow on the straights.
A Fortunate Podium and Radio Friction
Yet fortune was on Russell’s side. His teammate developed an issue which prevented him from winning the race, being finally classified down in P16. With four laps to go, Max Verstappen, ahead of Russell, suffered a mechanical issue which also took him out of contention. George was promoted to P3, and during the subsequent safety car period, Ferrari chose to pit both their drivers, handing second place to the Mercedes driver.
Yet despite claiming an unlikely podium, Russell chose to use his cool-down lap radio message to bemoan the lack of straight-line speed of his car.
“No, the straight-line speed’s fine,” insisted team boss Toto Wolff, coming onto the radio to admonish his driver.
In the drivers’ ready room for the presentation, Russell again complained to Leclerc and Hamilton that his car was “dog slow.” For older F1 fans, memories of Alain Prost describing his Ferrari as a “truck” spring to mind.
In Austria, George won his first race since Melbourne, but was being hunted down by Max Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli. Almost as if justifying not being the quickest driver on track, Russell repeatedly made the point that he hadn’t had a drink during the race in the drivers’ ready room. He then questioned both Max and Kimi whether they had required a drink.
George is always ‘messaging’ to some degree or another, and Wolff’s response to his claims his car was slow appeared to be the straw that broke the camel’s back with the Mercedes team boss. Russell is in the unfortunate situation where one Mercedes driver is likely to become F1 champion this season, but at present, it is Kimi Antonelli who is dominating the race for the title—and fast becoming the darling of the Mercedes-AMG F1 team.
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A.J. Hunt is Senior Editor at TJ13, where Andrew oversees editorial standards and contributes to the site’s Formula 1 coverage. A career journalist with experience in both print and digital sports media, Andrew trained in investigative journalism and has written for a range of European sports outlets.
At TJ13, Andrew plays a central role in shaping the site’s output, working across breaking news, analysis, and long-form features. Andrew’s responsibilities include fact-checking, refining editorial structure, and ensuring consistency in reporting across a fast-moving news cycle.
Andrew’s work focuses particularly on the intersection of Formula 1 politics, regulation, and team strategy. Andrew closely follows developments involving the FIA, team leadership, and driver market dynamics, helping to provide context behind the sport’s biggest stories.
With experience covering multiple seasons of Formula 1’s modern hybrid era, Andrew has developed a detailed understanding of how regulatory changes and competitive shifts influence the grid. Andrew’s editorial approach prioritises clarity and context, aiming to help readers navigate complex developments within the sport.
In addition to editorial duties, Andrew is particularly interested in how media narratives shape fan perception of Formula 1, and how reporting can balance speed with accuracy in an increasingly digital news environment.
