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Jolyon Palmer thinks the effects of the 2026 F1 regulations on the Pirelli tyres caught George Russell out in the Chinese Grand Prix, but he is still the favourite for the title.
Russell started the season as many people’s favourite to win the F1 drivers’ championship in the first year of the 2026 regulations, as Mercedes were widely expected to lead the field as they so far have. Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli have claimed every win and pole to date.
Mercedes saw Russell start the campaign by winning the Australian Grand Prix from pole, as well as winning the F1 Sprint in China from pole. Antonelli achieved his first career F1 win in the Chinese GP from pole last weekend, as well, while Russell had to settle for second place.
Antonelli’s win shows Russell that he can be a title contender in 2026, with the pair now just four points apart atop the standings after the first two rounds from this season’s 24. Russell leads the way thanks to Antonelli only managing P5 after a poor start in the Shanghai Sprint.
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George Russell was ‘caught out’ by not warming his tyres behind the safety car in the Chinese GP
Russell could not challenge Antonelli for the victory in last Sunday’s Chinese GP as he fell too far behind the Italian while fighting the Ferrari pair of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc for P2. By the time that Russell passed the Scuderia stars on Lap 29 of 56, Antonelli led by 7.7s.
READ MORE: 2026 Chinese Grand Prix race report, as Kimi Antonelli scored his first F1 win
Palmer thinks Antonelli built part of his advantage over Russell as the Briton was caught out by the “balancing act” that drivers now face between charging up their battery and keeping enough heat in their tyres behind the Lap 10 safety car to clear Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin.
“It caught Russell out at the restart, as he slithered around on cold hards, while Antonelli escaped into the distance,” Palmer told the F1 website.
“By the time [that] Russell was back in second, he had had to push too hard on his tyres behind the Ferraris and the chase was over.
“Overall, I still think George is the man to beat this year. But after seeing his young teammate put in such an assured performance, there are signs that it might not be as plain sailing for him as it might have looked on Saturday morning.”
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Russell was running in second place when race control called for the safety car to neutralise the Chinese GP to clear Stroll’s car, with Antonelli also just 1.5s ahead. He fell to fourth after Mercedes pitted the duo and Alpine’s Franco Colapinto and Haas’ Esteban Ocon stayed out.
Hamilton utilised Russell’s difficulties maintaining temperature in his tyres behind the safety car to take P4 at Turn 6, when his former Mercedes teammate ran deep after the restart on Lap 14. Leclerc took P5 from Russell around the outside at T1 on Lap 15 as he had more grip.
It took Russell until his tyres were back in the right operating window to repass Hamilton for P3 on Lap 27 on the back straight, before pulling the same move on Leclerc for P2 on L29. By then, Antonelli had his Chinese GP win in the bag, so Russell had to accept finishing in P2.
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