George Russell will return to one of his happy hunting grounds when the 2026 Formula 1 season resumes on Sunday at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, and the 28-year-old British driver hopes to regain his mojo and put pressure on his Mercedes teammate, Kimi Antonelli.
The gap between Russell (80 points) and Antonelli (100 points) at the top of the drivers’ championship has widened to 20 points, as the latter completed his third consecutive race win in the Miami Grand Prix earlier this month. With that said, this weekend could be an inflection point for Russell that might define the trajectory of his campaign.
Elsewhere, Max Verstappen competed outside of Formula 1 again, while there have been growing murmurs about Esteban Ocon’s potential midseason exit from Haas.
Learn more about some of the latest Formula 1 2026 updates, courtesy of SBOTOP.
Russell hit with challenge from Mercedes boss
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff must be a happy camper, as his team is back at the top of the constructors’ championship. Just like us, race fans, Wolff is enjoying the back-and-forth between his two drivers, Kimi Antonelli and George Russell.
The preseason Formula 1 2026 odds had Russell as the Silver Arrows’ No. 1 driver entering the season, but it has been the other way around. While Antonelli has never finished lower than P2 in the opening four races of the season, Russell has done so twice in the past two in Japan and Miami, following his victory in Australia and P2 finish in China.
During a recent interview with Sky Sports, Wolff expressed optimism that Russell will turn his fortunes around. The Mercedes boss is banking on Russell’s experience to see this through, calling him a “killer” on the track. Wolff also confirmed that the team will bring their first upgrade package of the season to this weekend’s race.
The Canadian Grand Prix is the perfect time for Russell to do just that. The British driver won at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve last year from pole position while also setting the fastest lap. It followed another pole in 2024 when he edged out Max Verstappen on identical lap times by setting his first. Considering his recent outcomes in Canada, losing to Antonelli this week would be so damaging for Russell’s morale.
Verstappen loses in endurance race debut
Max Verstappen, contracted with Red Bull until 2028, was racing in this year’s Nurburgring 24 Hours endurance event, which took place between the Miami and Canadian Grands Prix. Unfortunately for the Dutchman, his debut did not go well due to a late issue with his team’s machine.
Verstappen, who teamed up with Lucas Auer, Dani Juncadella, and Jules Gounon, led the famous race by about 30 seconds with three hours and 20 minutes left when a broken driveshaft of his Mercedes AMG GT3 forced them off track, costing him the victory.
His involvement had created a ton of interest, as tickets sold out for the first time in the event’s history. Per the organisers, a record of 352,000 fans attended the race. Verstappen previously said that competing in the 15.8-mile circuit in the Eifel mountains in Germany with a showroom-style car had been on his bucket list for a long time.
Verstappen’s participation may have been a way for him to forget his subpar opening to the 2026 Formula 1 season, as he’s only seventh in the drivers’ championship with 26 points. The four-time world champion has yet to finish on the podium in his first four races, including a DNF in the Chinese Grand Prix.
Ocon could be set for shocking midseason exit
Several reports indicate that Esteban Ocon’s days at Haas could be numbered due to his fraying relationship with the front office. Ocon and his camp are unhappy with the American outfit, which has been accused of giving Oliver Bearman preferential treatment.
The Frenchman was expected to be Haas’ No. 1 driver when he signed from Alpine last year. Up against Bearman, who had only participated in three Grands Prix at that point, many would’ve thought that Ocon would have the edge in the intra-team battle.
However, Bearman finished ahead of Ocon in 2025, and the gap between the two drivers has grown more this season, with the former eighth in the drivers’ championship with 17 points and the latter in 16th with only one point. Ocon’s “difficult” reputation certainly doesn’t help, and Bearman is viewed as a future star. If Haas ultimately drops Ocon midseason, they’ll have Jack Doohan, Yuki Tsunoda, or Ryo Hirakawa ready to replace him.
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