Wolff: Russell 'distraught' after Antonelli's title win

Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team principal, reported that British driver George Russell was "distraught" after witnessing team-mate Kimi Antonelli secure the 2026 Formula 1 Drivers' Championship. This occurred during the Mexico City Grand Prix, where Russell finished sixth while Antonelli finished third, becoming the youngest world champion at the age of 20 with four races left in the season.

Russell, who had started the race from second on the grid, dropped back to sixth on the first lap due to a poor start resulting from a technical issue. Additionally, he received a 10-second time penalty for a collision with Red Bull's Isack Hadjar. Mercedes decided to excuse Russell from his post-race media duties due to his emotional state. Wolff explained, "I saw George after the race on the FIA scales, and obviously he's distraught about the situation. It was a great show of sportsmanship to go and see Kimi."

Before leaving the circuit, Russell was among the first to personally congratulate Antonelli, despite his disappointing finish. Mercedes initially did not provide an explanation for Russell's absence from the media duties, but later clarified that his emotional response was the reason.

Wolff reflected on the difficult moment for Russell, stating, "I have known George for such a long time. So, I saw him and thought, for a racing driver, this is a catastrophic moment. Maybe today the race was a little bit a picture of his season. This was a race for him to win. We had the pace in the car. And we let him down on the first straight. The energy delivery is not what we thought it should be."

The FIA fined Mercedes €5,000 for Russell's absence. As a result of the race, Russell fell from second to fourth in the drivers' standings, while Max Verstappen ascended to win the race, moving ahead of both Russell and Lewis Hamilton, who finished second.

Russell is set to address the media on Thursday in Brazil ahead of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, which will take place from November 6 to 8, 2026.