Briton George Russell admitted that it was “difficult to deal with” the idea of failing to win the Formula 1 World Championship title. Which was decided on Sunday in favor of his colleague in the Mercedes team. Italian Kimi Antonelli.
In Sunday's race held in Mexico, Antonelli finished third and became the youngest driver to win the world title and the first Italian since 1953.
The Mercedes team was fined after allowing Russell; Who was the most prominent candidate before the start of the season, by not fulfilling his media duties after the race after leaving the track early.
Russell's disappointing season was in stark contrast to the historic year of the 20-year-old Antonelli.
“Now seems like a good time to speak from the heart,” Russell wrote on Instagram late Monday evening. “The season started exactly as I had hoped, but it quickly collapsed due to bad luck and poor performance.”
He continued: “This was the first real season in my career in which I had more bad days than good days. Was that difficult to deal with? Yes; a lot".
He also wondered: “Was it difficult to get back up, week after week?” Yes; a lot. Do I feel confused sometimes? mostly".
He added: “All I know is that I gave everything I had, and that 2026 was not my year.”
In a season that was supposed to revolve around Russell, the 28-year-old British driver found himself in the shadow of Antonelli, who clinched the title four rounds before the end of the season, while his British colleague fell to fourth place.
The Austrian director of the Mercedes team, Toto Wolff, said that the team let Russell down with a car that did not have the required response.
He continued: “We have two drivers, not one driver. The car simply did not work as well as it should for him this year... It is a very difficult moment for him. Very, very, very difficult. My goal is to provide the car and support he needs in order to compete for the championship title.”
Russell finished the Mexico Race in 6th place. After problems with his car, he dropped from second to fourth place in the drivers’ standings, 11 points behind the Red Bull driver. Dutchman Max Verstappen II, 9th for Ferrari driver; His compatriot Lewis Hamilton III.
A video clip quickly spread across social media platforms showing Wolff apologizing to Russell after the race.
Russell was keen to congratulate Antonelli on what he described as “an amazing season by all standards,” adding: “You really deserve the title,” pledging to return stronger in 2027.
He said: “I will do everything in my power to restore the level that I was able to perform during most periods of my career, and I hope that luck will return to my side a little.”
Novak Djokovic said that he is about to overcome the health problems that negatively affected his season, while the Serbian player looks forward to ending the year with an outstanding performance in the “Paris Masters Championship” to secure a seat in the season’s final tournament.
Djokovic is seeking to win his 25th title in the 4 major tournaments in a record number, since winning his last title in the major tournaments during the “US Open” in 2023.
The former world number one reached the final of the Australian Open and the semi-finals of Wimbledon, but he exited early from the French Open and US Open.
Djokovic told reporters: “This year, the focus has shifted to feeling comfortable on the court instead of playing well, to be honest, because most of the tournaments I participated in, and many of which I did not participate in, represented a major struggle from a health standpoint. “It had nothing to do with my preparations or the adequacy of my training. I see a lot of people who like to give expert opinions and claim to know exactly what is going on with me, but in reality they know nothing.”
Djokovic won the 102nd title in his career in Beijing last month, before bidding farewell to the Shanghai and Basel tournaments early.
The 39-year-old Serbian player occupies 11th place in the qualifying race for the final tournament to be held in Turin, where the top 8 qualify for the final tournament, although the absence of world number two, Jannik Sinner, due to injury enhances Djokovic’s chances.
Djokovic said: “The better I feel on the court, and this has happened recently, the closer we are to solving the problems that I have suffered over the past 12 months.”
He explained: “So from the beginning, my level of performance, my enjoyment on the field, and my general feeling were great, which made me play better. “Beijing was my best tournament this year except for the Australian Championship, and I think I performed very well in Basel as well.”
He added: “Of course, it was a close match that ended in a loss, but I am just trying to enjoy the last two weeks of the season, and I feel much better on the field in the first place. Then the performance will come. "We'll see what happens next."
Djokovic will play against Frenchman Valentin Vachereau in his opening match at the “Paris Masters Championship” later today, Tuesday. The tournament, which will be held from November 2 to 8, will be followed by the final tournament from November 15 to 22.
Several countries threatened to boycott the 2027 World Men's Ice Hockey Championship, scheduled to be held in Germany, after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) issued a decision allowing Russia to participate in the competitions.
Following the position of Finland, the world champion, Norway also announced that it would not play any matches against Russia.
The Norwegian Ice Hockey Federation said in a statement on Tuesday: “Our position remains firm. As long as the war in Ukraine continues, Russia should be excluded from all international tournaments.”
The statement added: “We are currently working to mobilize the largest possible number of countries to form a united front, with the aim of conveying a message to the International Ice Hockey Federation that none of us will play against Russia under these circumstances.”
For his part, Heikki Hietanen, President of the Finnish Federation, said: “We are bringing together the largest possible number of countries to form a united front, to assure the International Ice Hockey Federation that we will not face Russia under these circumstances.”
Meanwhile, Germany is considering the possibility of waiving the right to host the tournament.
A German government spokesman said on Sunday: “The German government will discuss with the German Ice Hockey Association, as soon as possible, the potential consequences of this decision, including its impact on the 2027 World Championships in Germany.”
Last July, the International Olympic Committee lifted the ban imposed on the Russian Olympic Committee, paving the way for the gradual return of Russian teams to the sports arena, despite the continuing war in Ukraine.
However, the International Ice Hockey Federation had taken a prior decision to continue excluding Russian teams during the current season, justifying this with security concerns.
But after Russia filed an appeal, CAS concluded, in its unanimous decision, that the security concerns raised by the International Federation were not supported by sufficient evidence.
