Few people entered the 2026 Formula 1 season with more faith in George Russell than Claire Williams.
The former Williams deputy team principal was convinced the Mercedes driver was finally poised to make the leap from race winner to world champion.
With Lewis Hamilton gone and Russell firmly established as the team's senior figure, the stars appeared to be aligning for a long-awaited title challenge.
But seven races into the campaign, Williams is having second thoughts. The reason? A teenage sensation named Kimi Antonelli.
While Russell has endured a frustrating run of setbacks, Antonelli has stormed to the front of the field, and immediately seizing control of the championship battle, winning five of the opening seven Grands Prix and turning what many expected to be Russell's breakthrough year into an unexpected uphill fight.
Appearing on the High Performance Racing podcast, Claire Williams candidly admitted that she may have underestimated the scale of Antonelli's talent.
"I came out all guns blazing at the start of this year, saying that it was going to be George's year. I think I underestimated Kimi, but I think quite a few people underestimated Kimi at the start of the year,” she acknowledged.
Antonelli's has flipped the Mercedes script
Heading into the season, Russell looked perfectly positioned to lead Mercedes back to championship glory. Instead, Antonelli has emerged as the story of the year.
The rookie's stunning start to his second year in F1 has coincided with a series of frustrating blows for Russell. Reliability issues, poorly timed race interruptions and strategic misfortune have repeatedly knocked him off course at crucial moments.
For Williams, the situation has revived a familiar concern about Formula 1: talent alone is not always enough.
"I genuinely thought it was going to be George's year. We talked about this earlier, about luck. And I do genuinely believe that some people have better luck than others in Formula 1,” she added.
"I've seen it with Williams over the years. The times when there was a lottery, a result because there was rain or a safety car. Williams invariably never benefited from those lucky moments in the sport. Some other teams did.
"And that wasn't because we got the strategy wrong or we made a mistake. It just didn't happen for us. Never did."
Williams fears Russell is carrying a streak of bad luck
While Antonelli's rise has undoubtedly complicated Russell's championship ambitions, Williams believes another factor is at play.
The former team boss is concerned that Russell has become trapped in a cycle of unfortunate circumstances that continues to derail his progress.
Whether it was technical trouble in China, an ill-timed safety car in Japan, or retiring from the lead in Canada due to mechanical problems, Russell has repeatedly watched opportunities slip away through little fault of his own.
Williams fears that pattern could become damaging if it continues.
"And I worry that George... I don't think it's from lack of talent, I think he's just had a bit of bad luck. And I worry that sometimes bad luck sticks to people,” Williams argued.
For someone who played a key role in bringing Russell into Formula 1 with Williams back in 2019, the situation is particularly painful to watch.
Read also: Norris on the mindset Russell needs to fight Antonelli in title battleDespite Antonelli's dominance and Russell's mounting frustrations, Williams remains convinced the Briton possesses everything required to become world champion.
Her hope now is that fate eventually starts working in his favour.
"I really don't want it to stick on George because he deserves a title. I think he deserves it. He's earned one,” she concluded.
Thanks to Antonelli's breathtaking arrival and a run of untimely setbacks, a season that once looked destined to be Russell's coronation has suddenly become one of Formula 1's most intriguing battles.
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