Can George Russell Still Win the 2026 F1 Championship?

Yes, George Russell can still win the championship, and of all the chasers he has the most room. He crashed out of the Singapore sprint on 10 October 2026 and stays on 236 points, 89 behind his Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli on 325, with 175 points left. If Russell wins all seven remaining Grands Prix, he finishes on 411, and Antonelli must score 85 or fewer.

What happened in the Singapore sprint?

Russell lost ground. He took the lead at the start but crashed out on the first lap, so he scored nothing while Antonelli finished fourth for 5 points. The same report says Russell starts Sunday's Grand Prix from the back of the grid after an engine change.

The gap grew from 84 to 89. Russell's best possible total also fell from 419 to 411, because the 8 points for a sprint win are gone, so the most Antonelli can score against a perfect Russell dropped from 98 to 85.

How far behind Antonelli is Russell?

George Russell is 89 points behind Kimi Antonelli. He is second in the 2026 standings on 236 points, while Antonelli leads on 325. These figures are the official standings after round 16 plus the provisional sprint result. The last column shows how many more points each rival could score and still finish behind Russell if he reaches his best possible total of 411.

If Russell wins everything, the best anyone else can do is second in all seven races, worth 126 points. That takes Hamilton to 347, 64 short of 411. Antonelli is the only driver who can stop Russell winning out.

Russell vs Antonelli: how do they compare?

Antonelli is ahead of George Russell on points and on Grand Prix wins. Win and podium counts come from the 2026 race results and the official Sepang result.

How many points are left in the 2026 F1 season?

There are 175 points left in the 2026 F1 season: seven Grands Prix, each paying 25 for a win down to 1 for tenth, per Formula 1's guide to the Drivers' Championship. Singapore was the last of six sprint weekends on the sprint calendar, and the fastest-lap bonus point was scrapped from 2025, so no other points are on offer.

What does Russell need to win the 2026 title?

George Russell needs to win nearly all of the last seven races, and Antonelli needs to score 85 points or fewer. Each win Russell gives up for a second place cuts what Antonelli can afford by 7 points.

In the lower rows another driver wins the races Russell does not, and those points count against that driver's own room in the standings table above. Antonelli has averaged about 19 points a weekend so far.

What happens if Russell and Antonelli finish level on points?

If George Russell and Kimi Antonelli finish level on points, the driver with more Grand Prix wins is champion. If wins are level too, second places decide it, and so on down the order, according to Formula 1's championship guide.

A tie at 411 would go Russell's way, because 10 wins beats Antonelli's 8, so in that one case Antonelli could add 86. That is why the table above says "no more than": each figure beats Antonelli outright.

When could Russell be knocked out of the title race?

The earliest George Russell can be knocked out of the 2026 title race is the United States Grand Prix in Austin on 25 October. Russell is safe on Sunday: even if Antonelli wins and Russell scores nothing, the gap is 114 with 150 points still left.

After Austin only 125 points remain. Russell is out if Antonelli outscores him by 36 or more across Singapore and Austin. That pushes the gap to at least 125. At exactly 125 Russell would need to win all five remaining races to tie, which gives him 8 wins at most, and Antonelli would win the tie-break.

The simplest way for that to happen is Antonelli winning both races while Russell adds 14 points or fewer. Two second places for Antonelli are also enough if Russell scores nothing.

Which F1 races are left in 2026?

Seven races are left in the 2026 F1 season, from Singapore on 11 October to Abu Dhabi on 6 December, per the official 2026 calendar.

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Who can still win the 2026 F1 title?

Six drivers can still win the 2026 F1 title on paper. Oscar Piastri cannot: his best possible total is below Antonelli's current points.

What does this maths leave out?

The numbers on this page count points and nothing else. They do not predict which car is fastest, and they carry no odds. Penalties, disqualifications and cancelled races would all move the numbers, and we would rerun them if one happened. The full method sits in the methodology note below.

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