Russell's luck-adjusted 2026 F1 season and Antonelli's title

George Russell's 2026 Formula 1 season was badly affected by his struggles adapting to the new power units, as well as a run of bad luck, according to a luck-adjusted analysis. Kimi Antonelli clinched the title in round 19 in Mexico City, with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff describing Russell as "distraught".

RacingNews365 reviewed each grand prix from the season opener in Australia up to Mexico City, restoring the result Russell was likely to have achieved and deducting points from Antonelli's total where appropriate. In China, Russell suffered a car issue in Q3 after a padel was pulled too early, despite dominating the weekend up to that point. In Japan, a pitstop just before a safety car left him out of position.

The analysis also covers the Canadian Grand Prix, where Russell was leading when his engine failed after a duel with Antonelli.