The dispute for the 2026 Formula 1 title gained a new chapter off-track, after George Russell was criticized for statements made after the Canadian GP. The Briton stated that the championship is in the hands of his Mercedes teammate, Kimi Antonelli, a comment that was strongly disapproved by former category driver, Christian Fittipaldi.
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The beginning of the category’s new era in 2026 was dominated by Mercedes and transformed the title fight into an internal duel between its drivers. Currently, Antonelli holds a significant advantage in the standings after securing four consecutive victories in China, Japan, Miami, and Canada, opening up a 43-point lead over Russell.
After retiring from the race in Montreal due to a battery issue in his W17 while leading, Russell declared that he no longer feels pressure in the championship fight. According to him, the responsibility would now be on the young Italian’s shoulders: “At this moment, Kimi is the one who has something to lose. He is far ahead in points. I have nothing to lose,” he stated.
During his participation in the Pelas Pistas podcast, Fittipaldi revealed that he was bothered by the Mercedes driver’s statement: “I even took a picture of that statement. I wanted to be sure,” he said. For the former driver, the comment gives the impression that Russell is accepting the championship disadvantage: “Personally, I think he is throwing in the towel.”
The criticism is noteworthy because Russell had shown competitiveness throughout the Canadian weekend. After facing difficulties on Miami’s smoother asphalt, he arrived in Canada confident of a better performance, and at various times, seemed to have a slight advantage over Antonelli.
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The Briton won the Sprint race ahead of his teammate and then secured pole position for the main GP, by just 0.068s. However, the 68-lap race ended frustratingly with his retirement while in first position.
For Fittipaldi, the best way for Russell to pressure Antonelli is through on-track results, and not through public statements: “I think putting pressure on him means delivering on track and only speaking behind the scenes. There were several moments in Canada where I thought he would really make the kid work hard, but after that statement, it doesn’t seem to be the case. Clearly he was very frustrated because the car broke down, I understand that, but that statement was not good,” concluded the Brazilian.
Now, Mercedes’ internal battle continues to the Monaco GP this upcoming weekend. The Principality’s circuit has not yet brought great results for the duo, as Russell has never finished better than fifth, while Antonelli’s best reference in his debut on the track last year was only 18th position.
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