Russell: 2026 F1 season won't break me — SkimNews
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- Kimi Antonelli can secure the 2026 Formula 1 world championship at the Mexico City Grand Prix with a top-nine finish, or if George Russell or Lewis Hamilton fail to win on November 1; at 20, he would become Formula 1's youngest champion.
- George Russell says the 2026 season will not define his career or break him, estimates he has 12 to 15 years left and says the difficult campaign will make him stronger.
- George Russell entered 2026 as favorite after dominating Kimi Antonelli in 2025 but has won only three races to Antonelli's nine this season; he finished eighth in Austin as Antonelli won.
- Kimi Antonelli has gotten more out of the Mercedes car and raced at a higher level than Russell this season, by the British driver's assessment, while the teammates maintain a good relationship.
- George Russell bounced back from an underwhelming Madrid race, won by Kimi Antonelli, with a dominant run to pole and victory at the next race in Baku.
- Kimi Antonelli missed Thursday's Mexico City media day with a viral illness but is expected to be fit enough for Friday's practice sessions, and says he wants to finish the season on a high before setting his hopes for 2027.
Why it matters: Antonelli's nine wins to Russell's three reverse their 2025 form, and a top-nine finish or a non-win for Russell or Hamilton on November 1 would deliver the title. For Russell, who entered 2026 as favorite, conceding Antonelli's higher level marks a sharp reversal in the Mercedes hierarchy.
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