How Russell is surprising himself in title race - and the positives of F1's new rules

George Russell is nine points behind Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli in the drivers' championship after three races of the 2026 season [Reuters] George Russell has had to wait four years longer than he expected for this, and now his first shot at the Formula 1 world title has finally come, he says the way he feels about it is unexpected. As fate would have it, the location for our interview has brought Russell full circle. On a glorious spring evening at Silverstone on Wednesday, the Mercedes driver is officially opening the British Grand Prix track's new karting centre.

Karting is where Russell first started out in motorsport more than 20 years ago. The place he is in now is where he always dreamed he would be when he took those first steps. He just thought it would happen a bit sooner.

When Russell, 28, joined Mercedes in 2022, he had already established himself as a rising star with impressive performances for back-of-the-grid Williams. His graduation came after a run of eight consecutive world championships for Mercedes, and in the wake of his then team-mate Lewis Hamilton's titanic and controversial title fight with Max Verstappen. The expectation was that Mercedes would continue as a leading force, and Russell would test himself at the very front against the most successful driver of all time.

He got to take on Hamilton - and come out on top in two of their three seasons together. But his arrival at Mercedes coincided with a dip in form for the team. Now, finally, Mercedes are back at the front.