George Russell qualified P6 at the 2026 F1 Monaco GP, a result that continued a troubling run of form for the Mercedes driver. Speaking after the 2026 F1 Monaco GP qualifying session, Russell was candid about his current struggles, admitting he has few answers for a dip in pace that has emerged over the last three rounds.
Meanwhile, Kimi Antonelli took pole position for Mercedes with a 1:12.051, ahead of Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. Russell finished sixth with a 1:12.445, nearly four tenths adrift of his teammate.
Russell left searching for answers after qualifying for the 2026 F1 Monaco GP
Speaking after qualifying, Russell did not shy away from the scale of his current difficulties. Asked where the pace had gone, he was honest about his lack of understanding.
“If I knew, I’d be able to not be in that position. The start of the year was just easy. Every lap I did in practise, qualifying, it was P1, worst case P2. Every single session, Q1, Q2, Q3. The last three races, it’s just been nowhere,” he stated.
Russell reflected on a moment of relief at the previous round in Canada, but was careful not to overstate it. “And even Canada, it was like a real fight to get a decent lap. And then I just nailed it at the end of both of those sessions. But that was sort of like pulling something special out of a hat. And a little bit lucky to do it at the right time. But that’s just where I am right now. Yeah, I don’t really know.”
Driving style at the root of Russell’s qualifying struggles
Pressed further on the nature of the problem, Russell acknowledged that the 2026 Mercedes may simply not suit his natural style in the way last year’s car did. It is a shift that has benefitted his teammate considerably, and one that Russell knows he must adapt to if his form is to improve.
“I think there’s definitely some things we’ve seen. The changes with this year’s car, with my natural driving style, doesn’t suit it as last year’s car did. Kimi and I have had different driving styles,” he explained.
When pushed for specifics, Russell chose to keep the finer details private, but made clear that the contrast between the two drivers has been visible for some time. “I don’t want to go into too much detail. But it was clear last year and it’s clear this year. But obviously last year, it suited me just fine. And this year it’s suiting him perfectly well. So I need to adjust to this. And I’ll do my best to do that.”
Despite that clarity on the nature of the issue, the timeline of his struggles still left Russell puzzled after qualifying for the 2026 Monaco GP. “But it still doesn’t answer why the start of the year was such a breeze. So, yeah, I don’t know, bit bamboozled right now,” Russell concluded.
Wolff points to confidence issues behind Russell’s pace deficit
Mercedes Team Principal and CEO Toto Wolff was also asked about Russell’s situation following Monaco GP qualifying. Wolff pointed to a specific lack of confidence in the car around the streets of Monte Carlo to explain the issue.
“You know, we tend to look a lot on the psychological side. But George is very robust and resilient. There were a few races that went against him because it’s just luck wasn’t on his side or he wasn’t there at the right moment,” Wolff stated.
“And here, I don’t think it’s so much the psychological side. He just never had the confidence in the car. The qualifying started on a bad foot. You know, FP3 was still very OK. And once you start to run behind the performance and you lose the confidence, it’s super difficult to catch up again.
“And I think it would have been one session more, he would have been there or thereabouts. But he didn’t have any grip. Monaco, no grip means you can’t push it. Very last one from me.”
With Sunday’s GP still to come, George Russell will have the opportunity to recover from a difficult 2026 F1 Monaco GP qualifying result. Starting P6 on a circuit where overtaking is notoriously difficult, track position will be crucial, and much will depend on how strategy plays out through the race.
