George Russell has been handed a damning verdict from RacingNews365 readers, with a poll on who will finish second in the 2026 drivers' championship suggesting fans expect his recent slump to run through to the end of the season.
Asked to predict the runner-up behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli, just 2.7 per cent of voters backed Russell, despite the Briton currently sitting second in the standings on 242 points.
Max Verstappen dominated the poll with 60.3 per cent, with Lewis Hamilton second on 30.1 per cent and Charles Leclerc taking 6.9 per cent. Neither Lando Norris nor Oscar Piastri received a single vote.
The result reflects Russell's difficult recent form, with the Mercedes driver finishing only eighth at the United States Grand Prix last time out while teammate Antonelli took victory. Russell now sits just one point clear of Hamilton and six ahead of Verstappen with five rounds remaining.
The upgraded W17 has introduced a narrow and highly sensitive operating window that has proved difficult to set up consistently through race weekends.
Severe tyre degradation in dirty air during opening stints, combined with being stuck behind slower cars on identical power units, has worsened Russell's deficit to his teammate at recent events.
Check out the full poll results below!
Who will finish second in the 2026 F1 drivers' championship?
| Option | % |
|---|---|
| George Russell - 242 points | 2.7 |
| Lewis Hamilton - 241 points | 30.1 |
| Max Verstappen - 236 points | 60.3 |
| Charles Leclerc - 233 points | 6.9 |
| Lando Norris - 211 points | 0 |
| Oscar Piastri - 144 points | 0 |
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