Russell focuses on his own performance but is not giving up the title fight

The gap within Mercedes is substantial. According to RacingNews365, Kimi Antonelli leads George Russell by 81 points following his victory at the Madring, with nine races remaining. Despite this, Russell continues to target wins and pole positions. As long as he has a mathematical chance, he wants to keep fighting. [1]

The Mercedes driver says this in Azerbaijan to RacingNews365 and other media. In Pepijn van der Hulst's report, published on 24 September 2026, Russell distinguishes between his ambitions for each race and thoughts of a title comeback. That comeback is not his main focus at present; getting the most out of his own performance is.

Russell is self-critical in this regard. He attributes his position in the standings to results that have not been good enough. He also says that, for some time, the pressure he puts on himself has been about performing better, rather than an obligation to fight for the championship. This is not an announcement that he is giving up the title fight, but a description of where he is focusing his attention. [1]

Russell sees a match between Antonelli's driving style and the car

Russell points to his team-mate's natural driving style as an explanation for his strong performances. He says it is similar to last season, but particularly well suited to the current cars and regulations. His explanation is therefore not that Antonelli has fundamentally changed the way he drives, but that his existing qualities are a good fit for what the car demands.

As an example, Russell cites Brazil 2025, where he says Antonelli drove well and Lando Norris won. He regards both as strong drivers on low-grip circuits and describes them as possibly the two best-performing drivers this season. This remains Russell's sporting and technical assessment, not a measured ranking. [1]