George Russell (Mercedes): Penalty ‘ridiculous’, fight for second place

It could have been George Russell’s year – but 2026 is now Kimi Antonelli’s year. The World Championship title is all but certain for the young Italian. Barring any completely crazy turn of events, Antonelli will mathematically secure the World Championship on Sunday in Mexico (read here to find out what results he needs).

Russell faces a nail-biting battle for the F1 runners-up spot

Antonelli’s team-mate George Russell finished only eighth in Austin. As a result, the Briton now even faces a nervy battle for the F1 runners-up spot. Russell, who had made such a strong start to the 2026 season with a win in Melbourne and was tipped as the championship favourite, now risks slipping down the overall standings. Following the US Grand Prix, Russell is now just one point ahead of his former team-mate, the current Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton. And the competition is lurking within striking distance behind them too: Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) is just six points behind Russell, whilst Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) is nine points behind. Lando Norris (McLaren) is sixth in the championship and some way off the lead, but with 211 points to 242, he is not yet out of the running.

After the race in Austin, Russell said resignedly: “As long as we win the Constructors’ Championship… That’s the main thing.” Mercedes have a 133-point lead over Ferrari. A maximum of 215 points are still up for grabs for a team (with five first and five second places). So, mathematically speaking, it’s not a done deal yet. But the chances look very good.

Mercedes driver Russell: Second place means nothing

Russell: “Of course, I’d love to finish the season as ‘Best of the Rest’, but second, third or fifth place doesn’t make you world champion, so it means nothing.”

Russell finds penalty ridiculous

Speaking about his race in Austin – he started sixth and finished eighth, having incurred a time penalty during the race for leaving the track and thereby gaining an advantage – Russell said: “Six good laps and 50 bad laps. I need to understand why the pace was so poor before the tyre change. The penalty was a bit ridiculous too, but after such a bad weekend, that’s the least of my worries.” He was handed the five-second penalty early in the race.

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Soon-to-be world champion Kimi Antonelli: The inevitable will then follow in Mexico

The 20-year-old Italian Kimi Antonelli had the chance to secure the 2026 World Championship title at the US Grand Prix. He did everything right: victory in Texas. The title celebrations have nevertheless been postponed. Until Mexico.

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Speaking about his team-mate Kimi Antonelli, he said: “He was obviously extremely competitive, and there are signs that the performance window is very narrow. I hope that explains my lack of pace in the race, but I have to believe in my team, because it’s hard to understand when you’re so far off the pace.”