Russell Sounds Alarm: ‘Hamilton and Ferrari Are a Huge Title Threat’
_Rewritten by Alex Christian_june 25, 2026
George Russell says Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari are now a “huge title threat” after Hamilton’s Spanish Grand Prix victory ended Mercedes’ six-race winning streak in 2026.
*“Ferrari were mighty impressive today and we need to keep on pushing,”* Russell said after finishing second behind Hamilton in Barcelona. The win was Hamilton’s first Grand Prix victory for Ferrari and moved him to second in the drivers’ championship, 41 points behind Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Russell added: “Huge congrats to Lewis because I know how hard he works… I’m really pleased to see him back to the Lewis I remember when I was growing up watching Formula 1.”
Hamilton started third in Spain but passed Antonelli on Lap 12 to take control of the race. The result cut Antonelli’s championship lead from 63 to 41 points. Russell is third, 50 points behind his teammate.
The 2026 standings after Barcelona:
1. Andrea Kimi Antonelli — Mercedes — 186 points
2. Lewis Hamilton — Ferrari — 145 points
3. George Russell — Mercedes — 136 points
4. Charles Leclerc — Ferrari — 121 points
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff admitted concern over reliability after two engine-related DNFs in three races. Russell retired from the Canadian Grand Prix with a power unit failure, while Antonelli suffered an engine issue while leading in Spain.
Helmut Marko of Red Bull said Mercedes has a *“power unit weakness”* despite leading both championships. Wolff responded: *“We can’t DNF cars in a continued way. We need to understand what’s going on.”*
Ferrari will debut its first ADUO engine upgrade at this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix. Enrico Gualtieri, Ferrari’s head of power units, said the update is worth around 10hp. The team has two upgrade tokens remaining for 2026 after the FIA determined Ferrari was 6-8% behind Red Bull’s performance benchmark at the start of the season.
Hamilton commented on the upgrade: *“It’s a step, not the whole gap… but we’re moving in the right direction.”*
The FIA has declared a heat hazard for the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring, with temperatures forecast above 31°C. Driver cooling systems are mandatory unless teams accept a ballast penalty.
Russell said Mercedes faces a challenge: *“We have a real battle on our hands.”*
The Austrian Grand Prix starts June 26, 2026.
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