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George Russell has doubled down on his claim that the ‘gods don’t want me to be in this fight’ as he laments his bad luck against Kimi Antonelli in 2026.
Russell believes he is the ‘chosen one’ at Mercedes, and he was tipped as the favourite for the 2026 title. After winning the season opener in Australia, it looked like he had set the tone for the championship, but Antonelli has had other ideas.
The Italian has won the last four races and leads the standings by 43 points heading into the Monaco GP. Antonelli’s form in 2026 has left Russell completely stunned, and he is now left with a mountain to climb.
How ‘lucky’ has Kimi Antonelli been so far this season?
George Russell doubles down that the ‘gods don’t want me to be in this fight’ against Kimi Antonelli
There has been an element of bad luck in Russell’s woes in 2026. The safety car cost him at Suzuka, while issues with the car at Shanghai let him down against Antonelli.
After being dominated in Miami, the Brit looked to bounce back in Montreal, one of his strongest tracks on the calendar. He took pole position and the Sprint win, enjoying epic battles with his teammate throughout the weekend.
But during the Grand Prix, Russell suffered a battery failure and was forced to retire, with the exact cause of the issue still unknown. The 28-year-old was completely despondent after the race, claiming that the title was now Antonelli’s to lose.
READ MORE: Mercedes driver George Russell’s life outside F1 from net worth to height
Russell was a ‘ghost’ in the paddock as he said that the gods did not want him to fight for the championship. Speaking to The Times, he doubled down on that claim.
“I’m a bit lost for words if I’m honest right now,” the Mercedes driver said. “Everything turned off all of a sudden… engine stopped.”
If Kimi Antonelli wins the title, how much would it damage George Russell’s reputation?
“Right now it feels like the gods don’t want me to be in this fight — when I look at the safety car timing in Japan, breaking down in China, fighting for pole, breaking down from the lead here today.
“But I’ll go out and enjoy every single race, try and win every single race, and I’ve got nothing to lose. Hopefully the luck turns.”
Monaco will be another test for the Brit and the Silver Arrows, with it being the first race under the new rules that limit their compression ratio trick. Antonelli thinks that Ferrari are the favourites in Monaco, with the SF-26 being strong in low-speed corners.
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