All of George Russell’s bad luck in the 2026 F1 season
06 October 2026George Russell is set to start from the back of the grid at the 2026 Singapore Grand Prix, following his latest retirement at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.
Russell was still running in third place with just five laps to go at Sepang when another power unit problem forced him to pull over and retire. With Mercedes having exhausted Russell’s allocated power units, the resulting engine change means he will face a grid penalty in Singapore.
It’s not the first time Russell has suffered misfortune in the 2026 campaign. Sometimes, his car has let him down, other times strategy has played against him, or there’s been contact with other drivers.
Here’s all of the moments Russell has come unstuck in the 2026 F1 season so far.
Chinese Grand Prix Qualifying
Russell’s first major stroke of bad luck came in Qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix, when a technical issue brought his Mercedes to a halt right at the start of Q3.
Russell was unable to set an initial lap time in the final part of Qualifying and had to return to the pits with the car stuck in first gear. Mercedes managed to rectify the issue, allowing Russell to get back out on track, but he was left with just one run as the session reached a crescendo.
He ultimately qualified second, behind team-mate Kimi Antonelli, but there was no way of knowing what Russell might have achieved had he been able to complete his first Q3 run. He’d been the faster Mercedes in Q1, while Antonelli was the quicker driver in Q2.
Japanese Grand Prix
Russell started the Japanese Grand Prix second on the grid, but a difficult getaway saw him drop to fourth on the opening lap.
He quickly fought his way back into contention, moving back to second by Lap 4 as Oscar Piastri led the race. When Piastri pitted, Russell inherited the lead, and looked like a strong contender for victory.
Mercedes brought Russell in on Lap 21, just one lap before the Safety Car was deployed on Lap 22, and that timing proved costly. Kimi Antonelli was still running ahead of him and was able to make his stop under the Safety Car, getting a free stop compared to Russell.
Russell restarted in third, with Antonelli now leading and Piastri second. He then fell behind both Ferraris, before recovering one position by passing Lewis Hamilton. Charles Leclerc, though, fended off the Mercedes until the flag.
Canadian Grand Prix
After winning the Sprint and taking pole position for the main race, Russell found himself in the middle of a relentless duel with team-mate Antonelli for the lead. The pair traded positions repeatedly during the opening stages, with Russell eventually getting back ahead and taking control of the race.
Then, on Lap 30, Russell’s car suddenly slowed and he was forced to retire with a power unit failure while running in the lead. Antonelli went on to win the race, meaning Russell lost what had looked like an excellent opportunity to take a second Grand Prix victory of the season.
Monaco Grand Prix
Russell qualified sixth in Monaco, but his race was curtailed when he was handed a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane.
Things went from bad to worse when the penalty was not correctly served at his next pit stop. Mercedes worked on the car before the required five seconds had elapsed, meaning Russell was given a subsequent drive-through penalty.
That second penalty dropped him out of the points and left him classified 12th, ending a race where he had been challenging much higher up the order.
Belgian Grand Prix
Starting third at Spa-Francorchamps, Russell was overtaken by Leclerc and Hamilton on the run up to Les Combes. He attempted to regain the position around the outside, but he and Hamilton made contact through the chicane.
The Mercedes was pitched into the gravel, and Russell was out of the race on the spot, bringing yet another weekend to a premature end for the British driver.
Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia
Most recently, at the Sepang circuit, Russell battled with team-mate Antonelli and Max Verstappen for the top three spots throughout a rain-affected Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.
He remained in third with just five laps to go and looked set for a valuable podium finish, but Russell was forced to pull over behind to the side of the track and retire with another power unit issue.
That created a further problem for the Singapore Grand Prix just seven days later. Russell has now used all four of his allocated power units for the season, meaning Mercedes needs to fit another unit and he is set to incur a grid penalty, meaning he will start from the back of the grid at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, a venue he took victory at in 2025.
