By Salma El-Sakka
George Russell admits he will take a "deep look in the mirror" after his failed Formula 1 world championship challenge. The Mercedes driver, pre-season favorite, has been outperformed by teammate Kimi Antonelli, who became the sport's youngest-ever champion in Mexico City. Russell trails by 130 points with four races remaining and has dropped to fourth behind Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.
Mechanical woes and self-analysis
Russell cited two mechanical DNFs costing 40 points, but questioned whether misfortune was within his control. He said ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix: "Is all of the misfortune truly misfortune? Or is it actually things in our control that could have been better?" He also noted only six clean weekends out of 20, with recurring software issues on his side of the garage.
Focus shifts to second place
Despite the title being out of reach, Russell remains 11 points behind Verstappen for second place, with Charles Leclerc five points further back. He has fond memories of Interlagos, where he claimed his first F1 victory in 2022.
