‘I know what I’m capable of’: George Russell hopes 2026 won’t be his ‘one and only shot’ at F1 title

“I still love the competition so much. I need that in my life just to drive me forward … to keep me going so that’s what I love most about Formula One,” he admits.

Russell has twice finished fourth in the end of season standings since joining Mercedes in the 2022 season.

George Russell, left, and Lewis Hamilton were Mercedes teammates from 2022-2024. - Mazen Mahdi/AFP/Getty Images

He’s consistently beaten his teammate in all but one season – 2023, when he finished behind seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton.

2026, though, may be like that apparent one-off.

Following Hamilton’s blockbuster move to Ferrari for the 2025 season, Italian driver Kimi Antonelli was given the daunting task of taking up the mantle, ultimately finishing seventh in what was his rookie campaign.

But so far this season, the 19-year-old has made his competitors, pundits and fans alike sit up and take notice.

Teammate title fight

After Russell claimed victory at the opening race of the season in Melbourne, Antonelli responded in emphatic fashion.

Not only did he become the sport’s youngest-ever polesitter at the Chinese Grand Prix, but victories in Shanghai and then Suzuka saw him climb to the top of the standings ahead of Russell.

In doing so, he became F1’s youngest ever championship leader and holds a nine-point lead over Russell.

George Russell, right, and Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli are atop the Formula One standings. - Peter Fox/Getty Images

“Kimi’s a fantastic driver,” he explains to CNN. “I already got a very good glimpse at how talented and fast he was throughout last year.

“The start of this year for him has been a dream start to the season.

“From my side, I know what I’m capable of, and no championship has ever been won over three races, so for me, it’s just a long way to go.

“We can’t take these three races for granted … It doesn’t change how I go about my business. I’m still working so hard to ensure this momentum continues.”

Fair battle

One thing, though, is clear: Whatever battle ensues for the remainder of the season, Russell is adamant he wants it to be a clean, fair fight.

Former McLaren driver David Coulthard recently suggested Russell needs to “start eroding” the young Italian’s confidence in order to contend for the title.

“That’s not how I go about my business,” he quips in response.

Russell finished fourth in last season's F1 standings. - Clive Rose/Getty Images

“Lewis Hamilton has won obviously a huge amount in his life, and he’s always won in a fair and dignified way, but then the flip side you’ve got other great champions who have won through gamesmanship and whatnot.

“I know what I stand for. I know the sort of person I am. I know what I’m capable of in the race car, and I don’t need to win through any of those means.”

That battle, though, has been put on a five-week pause after F1 was forced to cancel April’s Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Grands Prix because of safety concerns related to the ongoing Iran war.

Regulation changes

The hiatus has allowed Russell to reflect on the newly introduced regulation changes that have so far dominated chatter in and outside the pitlane.

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen has made clear his dislike with the direction F1 is heading, so much so that following the Japanese Grand Prix, he openly said he was considering walking away from the sport entirely at the end of the season.

F1 has since made a series of rule changes to address drivers’ concerns; changes of which Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff have described as “acting with a scalpel and not with a baseball bat.”

Drivers start the Japanese Grand Prix on March 29. - Issei Kato/Reuters

Russell, who is a director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA) and himself suffered technical challenges of his own this season, is aware of the kaleidoscope of emotions at play.

“From a neutral’s perspective, the racing has been pretty exciting, and we’ve just got to find a way for the drivers that we can make qualifying maybe a bit more enjoyable and a little bit less strategic,” he says.

“I’ve been in that boat as well … We didn’t enjoy the porpoising era because, not only it was very pleasant for us to drive, it wasn’t very nice in our bodies, we weren’t winning, so that just added to the frustration.

“Ultimately, we’re three races down into a new set of regulations that’s going be here for three or four years, so we’ve got to still give it time.”

Most of the new changes will be introduced when the season resumes in Miami at the start of the May and Russell is ready to hit the ground running again.

“The aim is to get back on to the top step of the podium,” he explains.

“It’s important to hit ground running, just get back into that groove that I had and I just can’t wait to go back racing.”

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com