Mercedes came into the new 2026 regulation cycle as the team to beat, and so it has proven. Kimi Antonelli leads in the drivers' championship, while the Silver Arrows have a healthy lead in the constructors' standings. The W17 is a fast car and has won eight out of the opening 11 races. However, the car does suffer from reliability issues.
This has hit both drivers, who have failed to finish two races apiece due to technical issues. However, other problems have cropped up more for George Russell, who finds himself 59 points behind his teammate. This has led the Brit to claim he does not have the luck on his side this season.
George Russell claims the summer break is good for him amid car troubles
George Russell came into the season as a favourite to win his inaugural title. However, he has not had the racing luck on his side as his W17 has been plagued with car problems. The 28-year-old suffered a battery issue which put him out of the race in Canada, while more issues saw him drop down the field at the start of the races in Belgium and Hungary.
In Belgium, this led to contact with Lewis Hamilton, spinning Russell out of the race. The Brit was also one of the drivers who incurred a 5-second penalty for speeding in the Monaco pitlane, which was later found to be due to an FIA sensor error.
| Kimi Antonelli (Ita) Mercedes 219 |
| Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Ferrari 169 |
| George Russell (GBR) Mercedes 160 |
| Charles Leclerc (Mon) Ferrari 138 |
| Lando Norris (GBR) McLaren 128 |
↗︎After the Hungarian GP, Russell admitted: "Normally, I never feel like I need a break. But this year, I definitely do. It feels like [mechanical issues] happen to me much more than others. I hope at some point that luck changes."
Russell will need a change of luck if he is to reignite his championship hopes. As well as being over two race wins behind his teammate, he has Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris breathing down his neck. The Brit needs to hope Mercedes can overcome these gremlins and let him start his championship fightback.
Has George Russell been more unlucky than his teammate?
While it is undeniable that Russell has had his fair share of bad luck, championship leader Kimi Antonelli has also found the W17 to be problematic. An engine issue put him out of the Catalunya GP while he was running in second. He was also second when a front-left wheel-shield aerodynamic component broke, leaving him unable to steer the car properly.
This has left the Italian scoring no points in two races, the same as Russell. However, Russell has had more problems with his W17 at the start of races, meaning he can recover points on the board. Antonelli hasn't suffered with these during races starts apart from the opening two rounds, when both cars lost places to the fast-starting Ferraris.
McLaren have also had problems with the Mercedes engine. Both cars were unable to start the Chinese GP, while Lando Norris failed to see the chequered flag at both Canada and Monaco due to technical issues.
This season is a far cry for Russell, who had no reliability problems throughout the 2025 season, being the only driver to finish every race. While he had the luck but not the car to compete, this season, it's the other way around. Will the Brit's fortunes change? Only time will tell.
