Christijan Albers says George Russell is a ‘softy’ who doesn’t want to take any risks

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Christijan Albers has questioned whether Mercedes driver George Russell is ruthless enough. Russell is facing his first Formula 1 title fight this year.

After three rounds, Russell sits nine points behind Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli. He has partly been unfortunate, with a car problem limiting him to a single lap in Q3 at the Chinese GP (where Antonelli took pole) and a safety car working against him in Japan.

Russell entered the year as the title favourite due to Mercedes’ superiority. Across his first four seasons with the Silver Arrows, he hasn’t finished in the world championship top three, reflecting the limitations of his machinery.

George Russell should have turned Lando Norris into a ‘lawnmower’ in Japan

In a recent Telesport podcast, Albers criticised Russell’s driving at the start of the Japanese GP. The former Williams man fell from second to fourth on the opening lap as Oscar Piastri, Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris got through.

Both Mercedes drivers got away slowly – a recurring problem this season – but Albers says Russell should have closed the door on Norris, who swept around the outside at turn two.

For the Dutchman, this epitomises Russell’s risk-averse approach. While he repassed Norris and Leclerc later in the opening stint, he ultimately finished fourth.

Is George Russell RUTHLESS enough to win an F1 title?

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“You see, for example, how he gets beaten again in turn two, you saw that with Norris,” said Albers. “You just have to open the steering a little bit, then Norris is just a professional lawnmower.

“He can’t go anywhere. He’s on the outside. You don’t get a penalty. You don’t get anything. He’s just a softy.

“That was in China too. It’s the second time now. I get the feeling he thinks, ‘Well, I’ll catch him later, I’m not doing anything at all because I’m not going to take any risks here.'”

George Russell needs to stop treating Kimi Antonelli like an up-and-comer

Mercedes don’t see Russell as the title favourite, contrary to external expectation. He has started roughly five times as many races as Antonelli (155 vs 27) and was already a five-time Grand Prix winner coming into 2026.

But Mercedes have always seen Antonelli as a superstar in the making. The question is whether Russell can cope with the Italian’s rate of progress.

Echoing Albers’ sentiments, James Hinchcliffe says Russell needs to be more ‘cut-throat’. He was the clear number one driver last year and almost a guiding figure for a rookie like Antonelli.

But now the dynamic at the team has changed, with Antonelli emerging as a serious threat, and Russell must adjust to the new reality