F1 insider claims Mercedes are to blame for George Russell's struggles this year

Antonelli, Russell, socials — Photo: © IMAGO

George Russell

F1 insider claims Mercedes are to blame for George Russell's struggles this year

Kimi Antonelli is 50 points clear of George Russell

By Remy Ramjiawan.

Thursday 23 July 2026 20:55

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Dutch professional racing driver and media star Tom Coronel is adamant that George Russell is being short-changed compared to Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli’s strong start to the season has only fuelled this debate. Following the Belgian Grand Prix, the Italian now leads the championship with 204 points and six wins.

Although Russell enjoyed victories in Australia and Austria, he currently sits in third place, trailing by 50 points. His campaign has also been marred by technical setbacks in Canada and Belgium.

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Are the Mercedes cars different?

Coronel insisted that the disparity between the two drivers isn’t just down to their performance.

“The data clearly shows that Russell isn’t equipped like Antonelli," he told Viaplay.

"There’s a definite issue with Russell’s car, I’m 1,000 per cent sure,” he stated.

His comments come after a series of reliability problems for Russell’s Mercedes, whereas Antonelli has experienced only minor issues, such as a brake duct failure at Silverstone.

In Canada, Russell’s race ended abruptly while he was leading, and in Belgium the Brit couldn’t access the full power of his car.

These setbacks have only reinforced Coronel’s suspicions of an underlying problem.

Despite Coronel’s remarks, team principal Toto Wolff has stressed that both Mercedes drivers are treated equally.

After the Spa-Francorchamps weekend, Wolff reiterated that the team remains committed to absolute parity in equipment and opportunity, ruling out any possibility of team orders or preferable treatment.

F1 Mercedes George Russell Kimi Antonelli