Mercedes driver George Russell explains why he has struggled so far this year and hasn’t shown consistency—the Brit makes an interesting comparison
Mercedes driver George Russell started the 2026 Formula 1 season as one of the top favorites for the world championship title, but after his opening-round victory in Melbourne, he went through a difficult phase from which he was only able to break free with his triumph at the Austrian Grand Prix.
But why did the 28-year-old Briton, who is widely regarded as a talented driver, struggle so much in the first races of the year? Russell draws an unusual comparison to explain: “Imagine someone asks you to paint the Mona Lisa, and you have the original right next to you—do you think you’d be able to get it perfect right away?”
“With a little practice, maybe,” says the Mercedes driver, explaining that he first had to get used to the new conditions: “With these new power units, the new tires, and the new cars, I have to set up the car in a way that doesn’t really suit my driving style.”
Teammate and championship leader Kimi Antonelli apparently coped with this much better. “I have to adopt a driving style that I’ve never used in my entire career so far,” adds Russell. “I have to adjust to it. And I know exactly what needs to be done.”
George Russell Must “Internalize New Techniques”
However, actually putting that into practice—after 20 years of successfully driving in a certain way that suddenly only works 50 percent of the time—is difficult. “You have to ask yourself: Is my usual approach working this weekend? Or do I need to adjust my strategy?”
“When I’ve achieved my best results [so far], it’s usually happened intuitively, almost subconsciously,” Russell says, looking back on previous years. “I didn’t consciously think about driving at all. But now I have to think and try to internalize these new techniques so that they, too, become second nature.”
“That’s exactly where the challenge lies,” explains the seven-time Grand Prix winner. “The good thing is: I’ve never come away from a weekend—not even a difficult one—at a loss as far as pace is concerned; the data has always shown that very clearly.”
Sometimes it was even so obvious, Russell reveals, that his chief engineer almost suggested there was a problem with the car. “I’ve seen other drivers or former teammates in the past who would often scratch their heads and not understand why they weren’t fast enough.”
George Russell Admits: “Success Rate Significantly Lower”
“I, on the other hand, know exactly why I’m not winning or why I’m not on pole,” emphasizes the Mercedes driver, because “the data clearly shows the reasons and what I need to do to improve. And when I’m on pole, it’s also clear why that’s the case.”
So Russell hasn’t suddenly forgotten how to drive. “It’s simply a matter of getting the car into the optimal operating window. Last year, I had a very high success rate in working with my engineers to extract the full potential from the car, the setup, and the tires.”
But that’s exactly what the current second-place driver in the World Championship is struggling with under the new regulations. “This year, that success rate is significantly lower,” recalls Russell, who has won only two of the first nine races so far. “And that’s exactly what I’m working on: achieving more consistency.” The image of the Mona Lisa seems to become more perfect with every race…