George Russell is going through a delicate moment in the 2026 Formula 1 season, and David Coulthard believes the Mercedes driver needs to seek inspiration from Max Verstappen to get back to winning ways. The former F1 driver highlighted the Dutchman’s ability to recover after a turbulent period as an example to follow.
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Russell’s situation worsened after the Belgian GP, where he retired on the first lap after an incident with Lewis Hamilton. Meanwhile, his teammate, Kimi Antonelli, won the race and extended his lead in the championship.
With the result at Spa-Francorchamps, Russell dropped to third position in the drivers’ standings, being overtaken by Hamilton. In recent races, the Briton has also faced difficulties keeping up with the pace shown by Antonelli within Mercedes.
For Coulthard, the moment demands an immediate reaction: “George will need to find strength and turn things around. I believe he can do it,” he stated during his participation in the Up to Speed podcast.
The Scot pointed to Verstappen as the main reference in this aspect: “Another driver who is showing that this is possible is Max Verstappen. A podium right after a big frustration at Silverstone, where he was very vocal in saying it was unacceptable to have problems with the wing reattachment,” he commented.
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At the British GP, Verstappen retired after a problem with the rear wing, which did not attach correctly in the braking zone at the end of the lap. Despite this, the Red Bull Racing driver quickly recovered and returned to the podium in Belgium, in addition to praising the car’s behavior.
Coulthard also highlighted the change in direction adopted by Verstappen’s team: “Red Bull took a step back in terms of technology by abandoning the ‘Macarena’ wing,” added the former driver, referring to the component previously used by the team.
In addition to Verstappen, Coulthard praised Isack Hadjar’s performance at Spa: “Both Max and Hadjar had very strong performances at Spa,” concluded the Scot.
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