George Russell Takes Championship Dig at Max Verstappen After Nurburgring Run
Mercedes driver George Russell has taken a subtle dig at Max Verstappen after Russell was asked about the latter’s Nürburgring run from last week, where he competed in his debut at the prestigious 24 Hours endurance race. Russell went on to emphasize that Verstappen was in a different position because he is not in contention for the F1 Drivers’ Championship at the moment. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli and Russell are battling for the title currently.
With just four races ticked off the 2026 F1 calendar, it would be too early to say who would win the championship. However, Mercedes has proven its might from the beginning, suggesting that both its drivers, Antonelli and Russell, are most likely to be in the championship mix. The former leads the standings with 100 points, while Russell trails by 20 points in P2.
The same can’t be said about Verstappen, who is currently placed 7th in the standings with just 26 points. However, that still does not count him out of the 2026 championship, considering past examples where he and Red Bull rose through performance-related challenges. The 2025 season highlighted Red Bull’s struggles with the balance of its RB21 F1 car for quite some time.
After the summer break, though, the team showcased an impressive resurgence. The result was such that the championship battle between Norris and Verstappen went on until the last lap of the season finale in Abu Dhabi, with Verstappen losing out on his fifth title by just two points. Speaking of the 2026 season, Red Bull continues to face challenges with its car in a new era of regulations.
However, the most recent race in Miami saw the Dutchman finish in P5, his best result of the season thus far, and from the looks of it, he could be a strong contender for the top four positions this weekend in Canada. Oct 19, 2025; Austin, TX, USA; Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team driver George Russell (63) of Team Great Britain at the driversÕ parade at Circuit of The Americas Austin. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images The four-time world champion has been exploring other forms of motorsport in the past year, and last week saw him race in the Nürburgring 24 Hours endurance race, driving the No.