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George Russell saw Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc as his biggest rivals for the 2026 Formula 1 championship, but his teammate was noticeably overlooked.
With Mercedes being tipped to have the fastest engine for the 2026 F1 regulations, the Brit was backed as the favourite for the title. Given his experience, Russell was expected to lead the charge over his younger teammate, Kimi Antonelli.
Aware of the rumours and expectations placed on him, the 28-year-old was asked at the start of the season who he believed his biggest rivals would be. In his answer, Antonelli is not mentioned, and that prediction has now aged horribly.
George Russell saw Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc as his 2026 title rivals – he overlooked Kimi Antonelli
Asked by Sky Sports, Russell answered: “I would say Max and Leclerc,” as his biggest challengers for the 2026 title. Antonelli actually agreed, as he said: “We think Red Bull is very strong, so for sure Max is going to be in the mix.
“Ferrari look very strong in Bahrain, both in long runs and on a single lap, so especially Leclerc, but I wouldn’t write off Lewis as well, because he can be very much in the mix.”
He also saw defending champions McLaren as a threat: “Maybe also the McLaren, but they seem a little bit more on the back foot compared to Ferrari and Red Bull, but for sure, Max and Charles could be the main ones.”
Russell doubled down on his take on Verstappen and Leclerc, adding: “Red Bull have exceeded everybody’s expectations with their engine, so naturally Max will be in the fight. Ferrari also look very strong,” Russell added.
Should Toto Wolff stay off the radio when Kimi Antonelli and George Russell battle?
“Charles looks very strong but you can never discount Lewis [Hamilton]. As it stands, those are the other drivers that are on the radar, who I think will be in the mix.”
After five races, Verstappen and Red Bull have been struggling to fight for podiums regularly, scoring his first of the season in Montreal, while Ferrari have been the closest to Mercedes on track, but Leclerc has not got the package to win races.
Mercedes have dominated the 2026 season, but it has not been Russell out in front. Antonelli has been the class of the field, leading the championship by 43 points after winning the last four races in a row.
The Brit was heavily backed as the favourite, and he underestimated his teammate before the start of the season. Antonelli is tearing up Niki Lauda’s prediction back in 2018 – he saw Russell as Mercedes’ next champion after Lewis Hamilton, but the Italian is now the favourite.
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Is George Russell giving up on the 2026 F1 title?
Russell claims he did not underestimate Antonelli, but 2026 is perhaps his biggest chance to win the championship, and it is already slipping away. In fact, he may already be giving up.
After the Canadian GP, Russell says the title is now Antonelli’s to lose, with the 19-year-old now holding a strong lead in the standings.
Russell has been accused of throwing in the towel in 2026. There is a long way to go, but the Brit is now paying the price of overlooking his teammate as a rival, and those title chances are rapidly dwindling.
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