Nico Rosberg says that George Russell is likely fueled by a fierce, almost obsessive drive to overturn his recent string of defeats to Kimi Antonelli, much like the determination that helped Rosberg clinch the 2016 World Championship after being consistently out‑performed by Lewis Hamilton the previous year. At present Russell's chances of securing his maiden title appear increasingly remote. Antonelli, who is enjoying a season of dominant form, now leads the championship by a staggering 81 points. Since his opening‑season victory at the Australian Grand Prix in March, the pre‑season favourite has only managed to finish ahead of the young Italian twice in the last ten races they have both completed.
Antonelli’s seventh and eighth wins of the year came in the back‑to‑back events at Monza and Madrid, further widening the gap between the two teammates. Following Sunday's race, where Russell crossed the line in fifth place, Rosberg was interviewed by Sky Sports F1 about his own experience of bouncing back after a painful defeat to Hamilton in 2015 and then turning that disappointment into a championship win the following year. "I was driven a lot by the pain," Rosberg recalled. "It was agonising to keep losing to Lewis, and that pain sparked an insane level of motivation.
I think George is in a similar position now. He is absolutely hungry to find any advantage he can. He works incredibly hard because I know he refuses to accept being beaten over and over by Kimi.
The difficulty is that it’s hard to pinpoint exactly where his pace has vanished." Russell has been the top‑scoring driver for Mercedes in three of his last four seasons with the team – twice in three‑year battles against Hamilton (2022 and 2024) and once alongside rookie Antonelli in 2025. Yet with nine races remaining on the calendar, a dramatic reversal would be required for him to re‑establish that status this year. Rosberg remains confident that Russell’s diligent approach will eventually produce a breakthrough with the W17, though he acknowledges that the 28‑year‑old will inevitably start questioning himself.
"I'm very impressed with George’s method because he is a perfectionist who scrutinises every facet of his performance," the former champion added. "He gives everything he can, and I respect that. But it’s also painful for him because he doesn’t understand what’s happening. He’s always been quick, always been on par with his teammate, and now that seems to have slipped away.
It’s a cruel feeling – you start doubting yourself: ‘Am I not good enough? Was I better before and now I’m doing something wrong?’ That mental battle is extremely tough." After being out‑performed by Antonelli at Monza – despite his teammate starting from a penalised 19th position on the grid and finishing 66 points off the pace – Russell admitted ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix weekend that he would need a touch of luck to keep his championship hopes alive.
The deficit ballooned to a season‑high 81 points after a disappointing weekend in Madrid, where a sub‑par Q3 and an early Virtual Safety Car hampered his race. That result left Russell virtually conceding the title on Sunday evening. Looking ahead to the upcoming races, starting with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on September 24‑26, Russell told F1: "Just keep pushing forward. It’s been a more positive couple of races even though today’s result was far from ideal.
The story of the season is that I need to focus on performance, keep helping the team, and accept that while we’re in a strong position for the constructors' championship, I’m realistically out of the drivers' fight. So I’ll concentrate on each race and try to extract the best possible results." Mercedes remain convinced that Russell can rediscover his peak form. Team principal Toto Wolff was asked what the Briton is battling most intensely at the moment. "I don’t know exactly, because you could see the speed he displayed at the end when he was catching Leclerc – he was the quickest on track.
But after the tyre changes, that pace disappeared. We need to analyse it because the potential is clearly there, both in the car and in George. We just have to unlock it," Wolff explained. Despite the current title drought, Wolff has no doubt that Russell will bounce back and continue to be a contender in future championship battles.
"When it comes to George, you can have good races, bad races, good years and bad years, but we’re talking about a driver who has already won everything he could have possibly won before – every karting championship, a rookie‑year Formula 3 title, a rookie‑year Formula 2 crown, and a stint at Williams. He is a top‑level driver.
We need to discover what it takes for him to unleash that potential fully. And there’s the psychological side – a season like this is a beating. But the great drivers recover, and George has everything he needs to fight for championships. Even if this one slips away, more will come." The F1 season rolls on, with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix kicking off a triple‑header from September 24‑26, the Baku race taking place on a Saturday.
Fans can follow the action live on Sky Sports F1 via NOW, with the flexibility to cancel anytime.