F1 legend Lewis Hamilton has offered his thoughts on what has gone wrong for George Russell after a rough season at Mercedes.

Russell began the 2026 campaign as the red-hot favourite to win the F1 drivers' championship, but this weekend his team-mate Kimi Antonelli looks set to wrap it up for himself with four races to spare.

Despite it being Antonelli's second season in the sport, and Russell's eighth, the British driver has been outclassed, with the young Italian consistently able to get better results out of the Mercedes car than his teammate.

As a result, he is 123 points clear heading into Sunday's Mexican Grand Prix, with P9 enough to see him crowned champion, even if his team-mate wins the race.

Lewis Hamilton on George Russell struggles

Hamilton and Russell were teammates at Mercedes for three seasons before the seven-time world champion left to join Ferrari for the 2025 season.

During their three seasons racing together, Russell finished ahead of Hamilton on two occasions, so he knows the talent that his fellow British driver possesses.

Speaking to the media ahead of this weekend's Mexican Grand Prix, Hamilton was therefore asked if he has been surprised by the gap between Russell and Antonelli this year.

“I don't really know what the challenges have been from not being in the team,” Hamilton said in the media pen.

“I do know he's had a lot, a lot of problems, a lot more, or most of the problems have been on George's car this season, and so I think it's been very, very challenging for him.

"Whereas Kimi's kind of had a much more simple, in respect to kind of issues with the car through the year, and then he's also delivered every single weekend."

Hamilton: Russell will bounce back

Some, such as former Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko, have claimed that Russell's season has been so bruising that it will be his last competing for an F1 title.

However, Hamilton has backed him to bounce back.

"I think George had a really good pace, particularly at the beginning, but it's like a couple steps forward and a couple, you know, a step back," Hamilton added.

"So, I mean, I don't really know why the gap is as big as it is. But, I'm sure he'll bounce back. Each weekend, he comes back and gives it his best."