George Russell has maintained that he and Mercedes are “not taking anything for granted” ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix despite a strong start to the 2026 Formula 1 season.
The Briton leads the Drivers’ Championship by four points from team mate Kimi Antonelli, Russell having claimed victory in the Australia season-opener and taking top spot in the China Sprint.
Although Russell finished second to Antonelli in the Chinese Grand Prix, the pair were once again dominant as Mercedes continue to be the pacesetters under the new-for-2026 regulations.
But with another 20 races remaining and the threat from Ferrari, as well as the likes of McLaren and Red Bull yet to bring substantial upgrades, Russell is wary that the destination of this year’s titles are far from a forgone conclusion.
“I think right now as Mercedes we have a small advantage over Ferrari and a good advantage over everyone else but these things change so quickly,” said Russell during Thursday’s media day ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix.
“We saw in the press about Red Bull being a bit overweight, so they can probably improve that quite quickly. McLaren still haven’t brought any updates to the car and they have a Mercedes engine in the back so we want to make the most of it while we do have this advantage.
“We’re not taking anything for granted because the competition is so fierce and we’re sure that Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari will keep pushing us. [It is] too early to even think about the Championship.”
Russell suffered a technical setback in Qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix and was only able to complete one flying lap, which left him behind Antonelli and ultimately proved crucial in the outcome of the race.
With McLaren non-starting after both cars suffered problems with the Mercedes power unit, Russell is wary that the title could be influenced by car issues.
“It’s a long season, 22 races. I hope it’s not going to be decided from reliability issues and problems,” he said.
“Obviously we had the issue on Saturday in Shanghai. The McLarens had the issue on Sunday. The truth is that can happen to any one of us.
“[I] would have loved to be on the top step [in China] but with all the problems that the Mercedes engines faced that weekend, I see it as 18 points gained and not seven points lost. Very happy with the start of the year and when you include the Sprint we’ve been P1, P1 and P2.”
