Russell focuses on his own performance but is not giving up the title fight
George Russell puts improving his own performance ahead of thinking about a title comeback. Yet the Mercedes driver is not giving up the fight with Kimi Antonelli: as long as it is mathematically possible, he wants to keep fighting.
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.
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.
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.
For Russell, the task each weekend remains clear: fight for pole position and victory. The large points deficit does not change that stated ambition.
Sources 01
- SOURCERussell steers clear of an all-out F1 attackRacingNews365 Nederland · Source date as found: 2026-09-24
Source context
Based on a single RacingNews365 publication. The championship figures and results mentioned have not been checked against official results; independent technical evidence supporting Russell's driving-style analysis is lacking.
Claims and supporting evidence 6
This finding from the source must be read within the stated scope and source context. Competitive position within Mercedes. Standings as reported on 24 September 2026, in the context of the Azerbaijan GP. These are race and championship data reported by RacingNews365, not directly verified official results. The author's expectation that Antonelli is heading for the title is not an established outcome.
This finding from the source must be read within the stated scope and source context. Russell's willingness to keep fighting. Remarks made in Azerbaijan, published on 24 September 2026. This is Russell's stated intention, not a prediction of results or a separately verified calculation of his title chances. Pepijn van der Hulst reports the remarks for RacingNews365; the outlet itself states that it was involved in the conversation.
This finding from the source must be read within the stated scope and source context. Russell's priority given his points deficit. Remarks published on 24 September 2026. This is Russell's description of his own focus, as quoted by RacingNews365. It does not imply a change in Mercedes' team strategy or a commitment to support Antonelli.
This finding from the source must be read within the stated scope and source context. Self-criticism and perceived pressure to perform. Russell's reflection on his season up to the 2026 Azerbaijan GP. This is a self-assessment. The source provides no breakdown of the deficit by his own mistakes, technical problems, strategy or other causes.
This finding from the source must be read within the stated scope and source context. Russell's explanation for Antonelli's strong performances. Comparison of 2025 with 2026, published on 24 September 2026. This is Russell's sporting and technical assessment, reported by RacingNews365. No telemetry data or technical analyses have been supplied that independently demonstrate the connection.
This finding from the source must be read within the stated scope and source context. The supporting example Russell gives for his driving-style analysis. Brazil 2025 as an example underpinning Russell's assessment of the 2026 season up to 24 September. The assessments of grip and performance are Russell's opinion. His wording ‘quite possibly’ (translated from the supplied Dutch ‘misschien wel’) remains essential: this is not a measured ranking. The Brazilian result is substantiated here solely through his quoted remark.
Corrections and updates to this story
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This article was produced with AI assistance. Source references make its supporting evidence traceable.