GP winner Johnny Herbert: What’s making George Russell (Mercedes) so disheartened in 2026

Ahead of the 2026 Formula 1 season, most Formula 1 fans and experts were tipping Mercedes driver George Russell to be the new champion, based on his experience compared to his teenage team-mate Kimi Antonelli, and because of the formidable Mercedes car.

But during the 2026 summer break, the picture looks very different indeed: the championship leader is the 19-year-old Italian Antonelli, whilst Russell is languishing in third place in the championship, a whopping 59 points behind the Bolognese driver.

Johnny Herbert also admits that he wouldn’t have expected this before the season began. On the Casinostugan website, the 62-year-old Englishman (161 Grands Prix, 3 wins, fourth in the 1995 World Championship) has assessed the situation facing his compatriot Russell.

Herbert says: “I believe that Kimi Antonelli’s consistency is definitely giving George Russell a hard time at the moment. It seems that every time Russell gets into the car, he takes a proper beating from Kimi.”

“I know it hasn’t been a perfect season for him. I know that luck perhaps wasn’t on his side, but that’s part and parcel of Formula 1. The whole thing will wear him down, because everyone, myself included, thought this year would be George’s year. But that’s not how it turned out.”

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“And then there are the constant rumours about Max Verstappen, that he might join Mercedes in the medium term after all, which certainly don’t help lift Russell’s spirits. George will be aware that his seat is under threat.”

“Stability and security are always what a driver strives for, and in Russell’s case, neither is fully guaranteed. But that is precisely the challenge a Formula One driver must face. Sometimes you have to prove your worth time and time again, and George finds himself in exactly that situation.”

“Russell is forced to prove himself all over again every time. And the only way to silence the critics or secure a new contract is for him to become the dominant force in the team. Unfortunately, there’s not much sign of that at the moment.”

“If, on the other hand, we look at Kimi Antonelli, we see this impressive inner confidence. It’s probably quite demoralising for George to realise that every time he thinks he’s put in an outstanding lap, he subsequently realises he hasn’t been able to close the gap on Kimi.”