Russell opens up on exhaustion after tough 2026 F1 season

George Russell has spoken about his exhaustion at having to repeatedly recover from setbacks during his difficult Formula 1 season. Following Kimi Antonelli's drivers' title success in Mexico City, Russell congratulated his team-mate before leaving the circuit early and not taking part in the team celebrations.

Russell has struggled with various technical issues with the power unit and has had to adapt his driving style to the new engines. He has finished on the podium only once since the Italian Grand Prix, when he won in Azerbaijan, as power unit penalties, deployment problems and failures have cost him, dropping him to fourth in the drivers' championship.

Reflecting on the mental toll, Russell said he feels exhausted from constantly picking himself up. He described being away from home for consecutive races and losing chances of victory or the podium through circumstances outside his control, saying it has been tough to deal with.