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George Russell

George Russell handed F1 title backing after miserable period

George Russell entered the year as the favourite for the title but has suffered a challenging run of form.

Russell Hungary
Article
To news overview © XPBimages

A majority of F1 fans believe George Russell is still in the fight for the drivers' title this year.

Russell's 2026 campaign started brilliantly with a dominant pole-to-flag victory at the season opener in Melbourne, followed by a podium in China. 

Yet the 28-year-old has watched team-mate Kimi Antonelli reel off win after win, with the Italian teenager claiming five grand prix victories in the opening 11 rounds to seize command of the championship.

A costly engine failure while leading in Canada and a first-lap retirement at Spa, after contact with Lewis Hamilton, proved particularly damaging. A troubled Hungarian Grand Prix, where anti-stall dropped him to the back of the field at the start, compounded his misery before the summer break.

Russell heads into the second half of the season sitting 59 points behind Antonelli. With 11 races still to come, the deficit is far from insurmountable, but further slip-ups cannot be afforded.

RacingNews365 asked you, the fans, if you believe Russell is still in the fight for the championship.

Some 62 per cent of those who responded believe Russell is still in the hunt, although 45 per cent of those believe his hopes are “rapidly fading”.

A significant 37 per cent of fans think that the Briton is out of the fight altogether.

You can see the full poll results below.

Does George Russell still have a chance to win the F1 title this year?

George Russell handed F1 title backing after miserable period
Option %
Yes - But his hopes are rapidly fading 45.11%
No - He has no chance anymore 37.87%
Yes - He is still in the fight 17.02%

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