Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Motorsport
Motorsport
Lydia Mee

George Russell told "low" moments are "really good thing for him" after Belgian GP blow

George Russell Juan Pablo Montoya Mercedes Lewis Hamilton Kimi Antonelli

Former Formula 1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya believes George Russell's difficult 2026 campaign will ultimately benefit him in the long term.

Russell suffered another retirement at the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps after an opening-lap clash with seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton. In addition to the collision, which left him beached in the gravel, Russell had already encountered an unexpected loss of electrical deployment off the line.

The DNF heavily impacted Russell's title challenge against his team-mate Kimi Antonelli and Hamilton. Having been second in the standings and 25 points behind championship leader Antonelli prior to the weekend, Russell now sits third, 50 points behind the Italian and five points behind Hamilton.

Montoya argued that facing these challenges will force Russell to become a better driver in the long run.

"I think personally, being in this low [moment] is a really good thing for him," Montoya said on the F1 TV post-race show. "For this year it is not, but for the long term, he has come to the realisation that things need to get better.

"When he started the season, he thought what he was doing was the best of anybody here, and he was going to win the championship. He's gone through a process that you could say sucks for him, but he's come to a better place.

"At the moment, he wants to rebuild, and he knows there are things he can do better, and he knows the team needs to do things better. When you go through stuff like this, you come out a much better driver, a much more mature person as well."

George Russell, Mercedes (Photo by: Sona Maleterova / Getty Images)

Montoya also praised Mercedes for publicly supporting its drivers and refusing to blame them.

"Mercedes is very good at helping, managing, and looking after the drivers," Montoya added. "You never hear them throw the drivers under the bus. Other teams love doing that.

"That's why I think George is a really good fit at Mercedes because he's such a good team player. He's all about the team, about building and doing it better."

There is now just one more round before the summer break. The Hungarian Grand Prix will take place from 24 to 26 July.

Photos from Belgian GP - Sunday

50 Formula 1 Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Charles Leclerc, Ferrari; Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Nico Hülkenberg, Audi F1 Team

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac Racing, Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team, Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Lando Norris, McLaren

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Carlos Sainz, Williams

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, George Russell, Mercedes

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Lando Norris, McLaren

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 George Russell, Mercedes

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 George Russell, Mercedes

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Pierre Gasly, Alpine

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Franco Colapinto, Alpine

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Alpine F1 Team pit lane message

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing, Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Alexander Albon, Williams, Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Andy Stevenson, Sporting Director, Aston Martin F1 Team

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 George Russell, Mercedes

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Nico Hulkenberg, Audi F1 Team

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Jacques Villeneuve arrives in the paddock.

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Franco Colapinto, Alpine

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 George Russell, Mercedes

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Carlos Sainz, Williams

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

 Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday
Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Arizona woman’s date told her he hates Mexicans 30 mins in. She ended the night bleeding and then found out he lived right next door: ‘I’m like quiet’
Bar small talk turned into racist opinions minutes later.
We Got This Covered
We Got This Covered
It sounds ridiculous, until you learn why people do it. A roll of toilet paper in the fridge?
Toilet paper in the fridge sounds bizarre, but millions are searching this viral refrigerator hack to learn whether it really removes bad odors. The truth is more practical than social media suggests. A fresh roll may absorb some excess moisture, but it cannot eliminate the real source of fridge smells.…
The Economic Times
The Economic Times
Not so terrible, after all – 2-year-olds just want to be independent
A 2-year-old is lying on the floor yelling, with their socks pulled off after spending 15 minutes trying to get them on in the first place.
The Conversation
The Conversation
Illinois woman flirts with man outside Family Dollar. Then he says his Toyota Camry killed the mood: ‘Don’t ignore that red flag’
The flirting took an unexpected turn.
We Got This Covered
We Got This Covered
Maryland Woman pulled something ‘hazardous’ from her Red Lobster meal and nearly swallowed it. They tried to fix the unfixable, with a $100 gift card
She spat it out right away.
We Got This Covered
We Got This Covered
Psychology says people who hoard hotel toiletries aren't just collecting free things, they may not want to miss out on the pleasure of feeling special
Research suggests that collecting these toiletries is usually less about saving money and more about how the brain processes rewards, possessions, and travel experiences. Psychology says people who take complimentary hotel toiletries home are often responding to common cognitive biases rather than revealing a particular personality trait.
The Economic Times
The Economic Times
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play