Russell's Surprising Theory: Why 2026 Cars Favor Antonelli, Hamilton and Norris

George Russell has a theory about his surprisingly difficult season in a race-winning Mercedes: the 2026 generation of cars simply suits certain driving styles better than others. The Brit sees a clear pattern emerging across the grid — and the evidence is hard to ignore.

Why it matters:

With Mercedes back at the front, Russell should be fighting for wins. Instead, teammate Kimi Antonelli has been the one delivering results. If Russell's theory holds, it doesn't just explain his own struggles — it could reshape how teams evaluate drivers for this regulation cycle.

The details:

• The pattern: Russell sees himself, Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri in the same boat, all struggling relative to their teammates. Meanwhile, Antonelli, Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris are thriving.
• The style clash: Russell, Leclerc and Piastri tend to favor late turn-in with a sharp steering input. That worked with high-downforce ground-effect cars, but the 2026 regulations offer less downforce — and energy management now plays a much bigger role.
• The energy penalty: Losing too much speed at corner entry means needing more electrical energy to accelerate back up. Antonelli, by contrast, is smoother with his steering and throttle inputs and has adapted his style to the energy recovery systems.
• Hamilton's revival: Hamilton looks far more comfortable with this generation than he did with the previous ground-effect cars, keeping the Ferrari calmer at corner entry and protecting the front axle better.

Between the lines:

Russell's theory isn't perfect — Leclerc, Max Verstappen, Russell and Piastri don't have identical styles. Norris also rejects it outright, insisting his strength is adaptability rather than any natural fit with the car.

What's next:

The real takeaway might be the most important one: in 2026, it's not about having the "right" style — it's about adapting fastest to a completely new generation of machinery.