George Russell believes he can now fight for victory at every Formula 1 race after his dominant Azerbaijan Grand Prix success restored confidence that had been missing earlier in the season. Although Andrea Kimi Antonelli still holds a substantial championship advantage, the Mercedes driver insists that with one third of the campaign remaining, the title picture is not yet settled.
Only a few weeks ago, George Russell was saying that he was no longer thinking about the championship standings. His focus had shifted towards individual race victories because he considered the gap to Mercedes team-mate Andrea Kimi Antonelli almost impossible to overcome. Baku, however, appears to have changed his outlook.
George Russell regains confidence after dominant Baku victory
George Russell’s commanding Azerbaijan GP victory, combined with Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s qualifying mistake and subsequent fifth-place finish, has given the British driver renewed hope.
“Before, I never really felt capable of fighting for victory because I didn’t think my performances were consistent enough,” George Russell told reporters in Malaysia. “Now, though, I finally feel that I’m in a position to compete for the win race after race.”
“Of course, the gap in the championship is significant, but we’re only two-thirds of the way through the season. There is still a third of the championship left and anything can still happen.”
The change in mood is notable after George Russell had previously played down his chances of overturning Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s advantage in the Formula 1 drivers’ standings. His dominant Baku weekend has at least partially reopened that discussion.
Mercedes upgrades give George Russell further encouragement
George Russell is also encouraged by the upgrade package Mercedes has finally chosen to introduce at Sepang, believing the changes to the characteristics of the W17 could suit him particularly well.
“I’m going to approach it race by race. I’ve been enjoying myself more recently because I feel more connected with the car,” George Russell explained. “I also hope that this new upgrade package, with some changes to the characteristics of the car, plays more into my favour. I’m ready for the challenge.”
The developments arrive after Mercedes had previously acknowledged that the team had been relatively conservative with W17 upgrades despite seeing further potential in the car.
George Russell’s Baku triumph remains fresh in the memory, and the British driver clearly believes there is an opportunity to repeat that level of performance as the season moves into its final third.
George Russell explains where Mercedes has been strongest
“Baku was an excellent weekend,” George Russell recalled. “I felt really at one with the car and, since the summer break, I feel like I have everything more under control.”
Mercedes has been particularly competitive this season at circuits that reward high aerodynamic efficiency, a strength also reflected in the wider performance of the Mercedes W17 during the 2026 campaign.
“As a team, we’ve been very competitive this season at circuits that require high aerodynamic efficiency. We were quick both in Baku and at Monza, as was Red Bull,” George Russell said.
“Now, though, we’re returning to a more traditional circuit, where McLaren has been very strong recently, as we saw in Budapest, Zandvoort and Madrid. It’s a more conventional track in terms of the balance between straights and corners.”
Sepang will test whether Mercedes has solved its weaker circuits
The Malaysian weekend therefore represents a different challenge for Mercedes. Sepang’s more conventional mixture of straights and corners provides a stronger test of whether the new package can broaden the W17’s competitive operating window rather than simply reinforcing its strengths at high-efficiency circuits.
“I hope this upgrade package puts us back at the front on those circuits where, recently, we haven’t managed to achieve the results we wanted,” George Russell concluded.
With Andrea Kimi Antonelli still holding the championship advantage, George Russell remains the pursuer. But after Baku, improved confidence in the car and the arrival of Mercedes’ latest development package have changed the tone of his title outlook considerably. With a third of the season still to run, the challenge has been laid down.
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