Russell questions Mercedes reliability after difficult 2026 season

George Russell has called on Mercedes to investigate a series of recurring problems that have disrupted his 2026 Formula 1 campaign, admitting that the number of setbacks he has experienced can no longer simply be dismissed as bad luck.

The British driver endured another difficult weekend at the Mexico City Grand Prix, where a software issue at the start cost him several positions despite qualifying on the front row. A subsequent collision with Isack Hadjar and a 10-second penalty left him finishing sixth, while Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli secured the World Championship.

Speaking ahead of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, Russell revealed just how frequently technical problems have affected his season. After reviewing the campaign with his race engineer, the pair identified issues in 14 of the races, leaving only six weekends without a significant setback.

"I don't think I've ever had this many setbacks in my career," Russell admitted.

The 28-year-old believes Mercedes must establish whether the repeated problems are genuinely down to misfortune or whether something within the team's preparation and operations needs to change.

"This season hasn't meant to be. The performance hasn't been good enough. It's been atrocious luck. We need to question, is it luck because it's happened too often?" he said.

"We need to question, is there something we're overlooking because we can have bad luck once, twice, three times, four times? But it's been too many times."

Russell also explained why he left the Mexican Grand Prix venue without completing his usual media commitments. The disappointment of losing a potential opportunity for a strong result, combined with another technical setback, had taken its toll.

"I probably just feel a bit exhausted this season of constantly picking myself back up," he explained.

The Mercedes driver was particularly frustrated because he had arrived in Mexico believing he could challenge for victory. He had missed pole position by just 0.009 seconds to Lewis Hamilton before the problems at the start effectively ended his chances.

Despite his disappointment, Russell was careful not to blame every difficult result on external factors. He acknowledged that he must also assess his own performances and identify areas where he can improve.

"I think it's also important not to be naive and just blame luck on not being victorious. I think you need to look at yourself hard in the mirror," he added.

With Antonelli already crowned champion and four rounds remaining, Russell's immediate priority is to finish the season strongly. The Briton remains confident that Mercedes can address its problems and give him a better platform to challenge for the title next year.