Russell says 2026 season will not define his career

George Russell said in Mexico that a difficult 2026 season would not define his Formula One career, as Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli approached a possible championship-clinching race at the Mexican Grand Prix. Russell said he believed he had 12 to 15 years left in the sport and intended to learn from a campaign marked by uneven performances. Antonelli could secure the title with a finish of ninth or better, according to pre-race reports. The championship outcome remained pending ahead of the race. Russell, 28, entered the weekend second in the drivers’ standings, with his position under pressure from Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. One report put him 123 points behind Antonelli. Russell said the season’s highs and lows had taught him about himself and that he hoped to emerge stronger. He pointed to Hamilton’s continued competitiveness into his forties and said Hamilton had won most of his titles in his thirties as reminders that a difficult season need not determine a driver’s career. The Mercedes driver also described a pattern of recovering from poor performances before suffering another setback. He said he was proud of his resilience but thought the pattern might be...