George Russell finished fourth fastest in Monaco Grand Prix practice, but Mercedes is on the back foot for the first time in 2026.
George Russell expressed surprise at Red Bull’s performance during practice for the Monaco Grand Prix, noting Mercedes’ struggle to keep up. This marked the first time this season that a Mercedes car did not finish in the top three on a Friday, as both Ferraris secured the top two spots in the sessions, with Max Verstappen from Red Bull in third place twice. In FP2, Russell managed to clinch fourth place, edging out rival Kimi Antonelli, but was still almost four-tenths slower than Lewis Hamilton’s leading time of 1:13.026. Reflecting on the day, Russell admitted that his Mercedes W17 wasn’t performing optimally after significant changes, highlighting the stiff competition posed by Ferrari and Red Bull. Despite the challenges faced, Russell expressed determination to enhance their performance, acknowledging the consistent success of Ferrari on street tracks and emphasizing the need for improvements to close the gap.
