George Russell is ‘throwing in the towel’ and his comments after the Canadian GP weren’t ‘right’

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Mercedes star George Russell has been criticised after comments made on the back of the Canadian Grand Prix. 

Russell, 28, headed into the 2026 Formula 1 season as the red-hot favourite to win the world title.

The Brit proved his title-winning credentials by claiming victory at the season opener in Melbourne, Australia.

However, since then, Russell has seen his Mercedes teammate, Kimi Antonelli, win four races in a row.

Following Antonelli’s latest win in Canada, the teenager now leads Russell by 43 points at the top of the standings.

Should Toto Wolff stay off the radio when Kimi Antonelli and George Russell battle?

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George Russell accused of ‘throwing in the towel’ amid Kimi Antonelli fight

Speaking after the race, Russell stated that the title is now Antonelli’s ‘to lose’, which did not go down well with ex-F1 driver Christian Fittipaldi. 

The Brazilian, who drove for Minardi and Footwork Arrows during his F1 career, stated that Russell’s comments weren’t ‘right’ and make him sound like he is ‘throwing in the towel’. 

Fittipaldi said on the Pelas Pistas podcast: “I even took a picture of one of those statements. I want to be sure. ‘Right now, it’s Kimi to lose. So many points ahead. I’ve got nothing to lose’. I personally think he’s throwing in the towel. 

“There were several moments during the weekend where I thought, oh, I think he’s going to give that kid (Antonelli) a piece of his mind.

“But now, with this statement, that’s not really the case. He was clearly very frustrated because his car broke down, I understand that, but that statement wasn’t right.”

READ MORE: Guenther Steiner fears George Russell will never be a champion unless he stops being too ‘nice’

Christian Fittipaldi says Kimi Antonelli showed his ‘true colours’ in Canada

Despite being unimpressed by Russell’s comments, Fittipaldi did praise the Brit’s attitude during both the Sprint race and the main Grand Prix.

The 55-year-old also claimed that the Canada weekend was the first time Antonelli showed his ‘true colours’ since joining Mercedes last year. 

Fittipaldi added: “His (Russell) attitude during the race, especially in the Sprint, I think, was fantastic. Also, during the main race, it was very good. They almost came to blows, but there was a lot of respect between them.

“Russell was a real fox, wasn’t he? He widened the car; he made sure that Kimi went straight.

“He played the game, he wasn’t going to give the kid an inch, and it was the first time Kimi really showed his true colours since he joined Mercedes.”