George Russell's 2026 championship dream is officially dead after Kimi Antonelli's Mexico City masterclass, and the Mercedes driver handled the heartbreak in his own way. While the team celebrated their youngest ever world champion's coronation in the pit lane, Russell was nowhere to be seen. He skipped the media pen after the race and didn't show up for the iconic Mercedes team photo, leaving everyone wondering where the pre-season favorite had gone.
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Nico Rosberg couldn't help but notice Russell's absence and openly sympathized with the struggling Brit. During his Sky F1 commentary, Rosberg reflected on his own brutal title fights with Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, losing twice before finally getting his win in 2016. He admitted he couldn't quite remember if he was in his own title-loss photo, but the point was clear: Russell's pain was real, and stepping away made sense. The gap between him and Antonelli now sits at a crushing 130 points, with Russell tumbling to fourth in the standings after finishing sixth, as both Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton overtook him.
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Rosberg offered some perspective on what Russell needs to do next. He called the situation 'scary' for Russell, acknowledging the uncertainty of facing such a dominant teammate over a full season. His advice was straightforward: get some distance from the disappointment, recharge, and then prepare meticulously. Russell's known for his exceptional preparation skills, but Rosberg noted that Antonelli's clearly no slouch in that department either. The gap between them suggests something's seriously wrong with the car under Russell's hands, not just driver error.
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Team principal Toto Wolff echoed those concerns after the race, taking direct responsibility for letting Russell down yet again. A power deployment issue at the start cost Russell any chance at victory, and he admitted the W17 simply hasn't worked for Russell all season. With two retirements from podium positions already due to mechanical failures, plus today's energy failure, Wolff vowed to sort it for 2027. He knows he's got two drivers capable of fighting for titles, but right now only one of them is actually getting the car to cooperate.
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