George Russell has backed Abu Dhabi over Imola as the venue to decide the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship, despite admitting that he loves racing at the Italian circuit. The Mercedes driver has weighed in on the possibility of the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari replacing Abu Dhabi if the scheduled season finale cannot take place because of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The issue has been circulating quietly around the Formula 1 paddock in recent weeks. Imola is among the options to host the final Grand Prix of the season should Abu Dhabi become unavailable, although no final decision has yet been made.
George Russell prefers Abu Dhabi over Imola for F1 finale
George Russell’s opinion carries additional weight because the Mercedes driver is president of the GPDA, the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association. He currently sits second in the Formula 1 driver standings, 66 points behind team-mate Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
“From my side, I have complete trust in F1 and the FIA and I’m comfortable with whatever decision they make. I’d like to race as many races as possible, so I’m in favour of having those two additional races.”
George Russell nevertheless believes Abu Dhabi possesses qualities that make it better suited to bringing a championship season to a close.
“Abu Dhabi has always put on a great show and it is, in every sense, the season finale. I love Imola as a circuit, but I don’t think it has the kind of character that Abu Dhabi offers for a race that decides the season.”
The comments are striking from one perspective. Recent Formula 1 season finales at Abu Dhabi have traditionally offered relatively few memorable sporting moments, with 2021 the obvious exception. Even then, the dramatic final laps resulted from an extraordinary sequence of events rather than the normal characteristics of the circuit itself.
Against that background, describing Imola as lacking the necessary character for a championship-deciding race is a difficult argument to accept, particularly from a driver holding an important role within the GPDA.
Formula 1 still waiting on potential Imola switch
A definitive answer on whether Imola could ultimately replace Abu Dhabi is expected to require another couple of weeks. The situation remains unresolved, with Formula 1 still some distance from finalising how the closing part of the championship will be structured.
For now, Abu Dhabi remains on the 2026 Formula 1 calendar as the scheduled season finale, while Imola remains a potential alternative if circumstances require a change.
George Russell explains recent improvement in Mercedes form
Away from the calendar debate, George Russell also expressed confidence that his recent improvement in form can continue after Baku. The Mercedes driver has adjusted his driving style over the past few races and now feels the changes have become instinctive rather than something he must consciously manage behind the wheel.
“It was definitely a conscious modification to the way I drive. I think I went through a few races where I had to think about how to make those changes, whereas now everything is much more intuitive and natural.”
“What I had set out to achieve, which was getting the car into a slightly better operating window, I can now do without having to think about it so much, so I can simply focus on going fast.”
The improvement comes at an important moment in George Russell’s championship campaign, after his advantage was reduced by several difficult weekends before the summer break. Earlier in the season, Mercedes had shown considerable qualifying strength, an area also highlighted by the wider performance of the Mercedes W17.
Silverstone interrupted George Russell’s earlier momentum
George Russell believes the two or three races immediately before the summer break were affected by bad luck, with Silverstone in particular proving damaging because of the power-unit problems Mercedes was dealing with.
“I think the two or three races before the summer break were a little unfortunate, especially Silverstone in terms of the power-unit problems we were facing. They put me in a bit of difficulty because before that we had taken four pole positions. I think it was four out of five sessions, including the Sprint, in Canada.”
The British driver had felt he was building positive momentum before that sequence of problems interrupted his progress.
“I felt I had some positive momentum and we had fitted a new power unit in Austria, but then Silverstone decided to have a very strong negative impact and that put me in a bit of difficulty.”
“It has been a frustrating and difficult season, but I feel I’m back in a really positive place and I hope that continues in the next races,” George Russell concluded.
With Andrea Kimi Antonelli still leading the championship, George Russell’s renewed form could become increasingly significant during the remaining rounds. Mercedes therefore approaches the final phase of the season with both drivers still central to the title picture, while Formula 1 simultaneously waits to establish exactly where that championship battle will end.
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