Nico Rosberg sees George Russell currently fueled by a fierce, almost obsessive drive to overturn the dominance of his teammate Kimi Antonelli, much like the determination that helped Rosberg finally beat Lewis Hamilton and claim the 2016 world championship after a season of repeated setbacks. Russell’s ambition of clinching his first title this year is rapidly fading, with Antonelli—who has been in superb form—now leading the championship by a staggering 81 points.
Since his triumph at the Australian Grand Prix, the season opener in March, Russell has struggled to stay ahead of Antonelli. In the ten races where both drivers have finished, the British racer has only managed to finish ahead of the Italian twice.
Antonelli has already secured his seventh and eighth victories of the campaign during the back‑to‑back events at Monza and Madrid, widening the gap and leaving Russell chasing a moving target. After Sunday's race, where Russell crossed the line in fifth place, Rosberg was interviewed by Sky Sports F1 about the mental journey that saw him rebound from a crushing defeat to Hamilton in 2015 to a championship win the following year. "I was driven a lot by the pain," Rosberg recalled.
"It was painful to keep losing to Lewis, and that pain turned into an insane motivation. I think George is in a very similar spot now. He is absolutely motivated to find any possible improvement. He works incredibly hard because I know he refuses to give up, and he hates being repeatedly out‑performed by Kimi.
The difficulty for him is that he can’t quite pinpoint where his pace has vanished." Russell has been Mercedes' highest‑scoring driver in three of his last four seasons with the team, topping the points tally in 2022 and 2024 against Hamilton and once in 2025 alongside rookie Antonelli. However, with nine races remaining on the calendar, a dramatic reversal is required for him to re‑enter the title conversation. Rosberg believes Russell’s meticulous work ethic will eventually produce a breakthrough with the W17, even though the 28‑year‑old is likely questioning his own abilities. "I’m very impressed with George’s approach," Rosberg added.
"He’s a perfectionist who analyses every facet of his performance. I know he’s giving everything he can, and I admire that. Yet it’s also painful because he doesn’t understand what’s happening to him. He’s always been fast, always at least on par with his teammate, and now that seems to have slipped away.
That creates self‑doubt – ‘Am I not good enough? Was I better before and now I’m doing something wrong?’ It’s a tough mental space to occupy." Fresh from a loss to Antonelli at Monza—where Antonelli started from a penalised 19th position yet still out‑paced Russell by 66 points—Russell admitted ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix that he would need a stroke of luck to keep his championship hopes alive. The deficit ballooned to a season‑high 81 points after a disappointing weekend at the Madring, hampered by a sub‑par Q3 qualifying session and an early Virtual Safety Car that disrupted his race rhythm.
Following that result, Russell effectively ruled himself out of the drivers' title race. Looking ahead to the upcoming events, beginning with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on 24‑26 September, Russell told F1 that his focus is on incremental progress. "Just keep pushing forward. The last couple of races have been more positive, even if the results weren’t great.
It’s the story of the season – I need to concentrate on performance, keep helping the team, and aim for solid finishes race by race. The constructors’ battle is realistic for us, even if the drivers’ championship is out of reach, so I’ll keep targeting good results each weekend." Mercedes remain confident that Russell can rediscover his peak form. Team principal Toto Wolff was asked what aspect of the car or driver Russell is battling hardest with at the moment. Wolff replied, "I’m not entirely sure.
You saw the pace he showed towards the end when he was closing on Leclerc – he was the fastest on track. After the tyre changes, that speed disappeared. We need to analyse why, because the potential is definitely there, both in the car and in George.
We just have to unlock it." Wolff is convinced that, even if the championship slips away this year, Russell will bounce back and remain a contender in future title fights. "George can have good races, bad races, strong seasons, and weaker ones. He’s a driver who has already won everything he could have at the junior level – every karting championship, Formula 3 and Formula 2 in his rookie years, and a seat at Williams. He’s a top‑tier talent.
We need to discover what it takes to unleash that potential fully." Wolff also highlighted the psychological side of the sport. "When you endure a season like this, you take a beating.
The great drivers recover, and George has everything required to fight for championships. Even if this particular title sails away, there will be more opportunities ahead." The F1 season continues live on Sky Sports F1 as the Azerbaijan Grand Prix kicks off a triple‑header of races from 24‑26 September, with the Baku event taking place on a Saturday. Viewers can stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract required, cancel anytime.