Nico Rosberg recently suggested that George Russell is likely being propelled by a fierce, almost desperate, drive to overturn his recent misfortunes, much like the determination Rosberg displayed when he finally beat Lewis Hamilton for the 2016 World Championship after a series of defeats. At present, Russell's aspirations of securing his maiden title appear increasingly remote, with his teammate Kimi Antonelli having built a commanding 81‑point advantage at the top of the standings. Since his triumph at the season‑opening Australian Grand Prix in March, Russell—once tipped as the pre‑season favourite—has managed to finish ahead of Antonelli only twice in the ten races where both drivers completed the distance.
Antonelli, the young Italian prodigy, claimed his seventh and eighth victories of the year during the back‑to‑back events at Monza and Madrid, further widening the gap. Following Sunday's race, where Russell crossed the line in fifth place, Sky Sports F1 asked Rosberg about his own experience of rebounding after a painful loss to Hamilton in 2015 and then clinching the title the following year.
Rosberg replied, "I was driven a lot by the pain. It was agonising to keep losing to Lewis, and that pain turned into an insane motivation." He went on to say that Russell is likely in a comparable situation now, "so damn motivated" to find any possible improvement. "He works incredibly hard because I know he hates being repeatedly beaten by Kimi," Rosberg added, noting that the British driver is struggling to pinpoint where his pace has vanished.
Russell has been Mercedes' highest‑scoring driver in three of his last four seasons with the team—twice out‑scoring Hamilton in 2022 and 2024, and once ahead of a rookie teammate in 2025. However, with nine races remaining, a dramatic reversal would be required for him to reclaim that status this year. Rosberg believes Russell's meticulous approach will eventually yield a breakthrough with the W17, even if the driver is currently questioning his own abilities.
"George is a perfectionist," Rosberg said. "He examines every facet of his performance and gives everything he has. I admire that.
But it's also painful because he doesn't understand why his speed has dropped. He's always been quick, always been on par with his teammate, and now that seems to have slipped away. It leads to self‑doubt: 'Am I not good enough?
Was I better before? What am I doing wrong?' That mental battle is tough." Fresh from being out‑performed by Antonelli at Monza—despite his teammate starting from a penalised 19th place and finishing 66 points off the pace—Russell admitted ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix 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 problematic Q3 qualifying session and an early Virtual Safety Car hampered his race. The outcome left Russell effectively out of contention for the title.
Looking ahead to the upcoming races, beginning with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on 24‑26 September, Russell told F1 that his focus is on incremental progress. "Just keep pushing along. It’s been a more positive couple of races even though the result was far from great today.
The story of the season is that I need to concentrate on performance, keep helping the team, and aim for solid results race by race. The constructors' fight is realistic for us, but I’m not in the drivers' battle, so I’ll just take it one race at a time," he explained. Mercedes remain convinced that Russell can rediscover his form. Team principal Toto Wolff was asked what Russell is currently fighting hardest against.
Wolff replied, "I don’t know exactly, because you saw the pace he had at the end when he was closing on Leclerc—he was the fastest on track. After the tyre changes, that pace disappeared. We have to analyse it because the potential is there, both in the car and in him.
We just need to unlock it." Wolff added that even if the championship slips away, Russell will bounce back and continue to be a contender in future title fights. "George can have good races, bad races, strong seasons, weak seasons—he’s a driver who has already won everything he could have at the junior level.
He won every karting championship, his rookie year in Formula 3, his rookie year in Formula 2, and then stepped into Williams. He’s a top‑tier talent. We need to discover what it takes for him to unleash that potential fully." Wolff also highlighted the psychological aspect, noting that enduring a season like this can be a severe mental blow. "The great drivers recover.
George has all the ingredients to fight for championships. Even if this one sails away, there will be more opportunities," he concluded.
As the F1 calendar moves forward, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix will kick off a three‑race weekend from 24 to 26 September, with the Baku race taking place on a Saturday. Fans can follow the action live on Sky Sports F1, streamed via NOW, with the flexibility to cancel at any time.