
Russell 'not feeling too lucky' despite strong start to 2026 F1 season
George Russell revealed he is "not feeling too lucky" after suffering more technical issues at the Japanese Grand Prix.
The Mercedes driver won the Australian Grand Prix to start the 2026 Formula One season, but finished second in China and then fourth in Japan last weekend.
Russell's car suffered a problem in qualifying in China, allowing team-mate Kimi Antonelli to take pole and then win the first race of his F1 career.
The British driver then had a similar issue during the Japanese Grand Prix, before the untimely introduction of a safety car further hampered his chances of winning the race.
Despite the technical problems, Russell is just nine points behind Antonelli in the drivers' championship as Mercedes seem to have adjusted to the new regulations better than any other team.
Nevertheless, Russell has been disappointed with the outcome of his last two races, feeling his luck has been worse than Antonelli's.
Russell told Sky Sports: "I'm not feeling too lucky. This is racing. Over the course of a year, sometimes it goes for you, sometimes it goes against you.
Through it all, one pack pic.twitter.com/gKdbmlJoV5
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) March 29, 2026
"It's annoying that I missed out on the podium because at the safety-car restart, I couldn't charge my battery, so we got overtaken by Lewis [Hamilton]. And then another problem with Charles [Leclerc], with the battery.
"It's still very complicated, these cars, it's still very early, and you have to make these mistakes to learn.
"But it feels like at the moment all the issues are coming on my side, so that is pretty frustrating, to be honest."
After both the Saudi Arabian and Bahrain Grand Prix were cancelled due to conflict in the Middle East, the next race will take place in Miami on May 3.











