George Russell delivered the most statistically flawless weekend of his Formula 1 career at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, but does that performance prove the British driver is genuinely back at his peak? In Baku, Russell executed a perfect race weekend, securing his first career Grand Slam by taking pole position, leading from the start to the finish line, and clocking the fastest lap of the day. This dominant display not only earned him the victory but also trimmed the gap to his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli in the drivers' championship, leaving a 66‑point difference with eight races still to run. The reduced margin injects fresh intrigue into the title chase as the season approaches its decisive phase.
Even if Russell cannot mount a full‑blown championship challenge for the remainder of the year, the widening disparity between him and Antonelli over recent months has sparked doubts about the 28‑year‑old’s ability to ever clinch the title while paired with the Italian. Antonelli’s weekend in Baku was hampered by technical problems that forced him to miss a large portion of practice and a crash that relegated him to 16th on the grid.
Nevertheless, this was the first occasion since the opening round that Russell had such a clear advantage over his teammate. Russell has been candid about his frustration in trying to understand why Antonelli has been outpacing him. He largely attributes the gap to the new 2026‑era cars, which present a different set of challenges for drivers.
The Baku triumph, however, gave him a tangible sign that the tide may be turning. He said, “I think it’s probably my first Grand Slam in Formula 1 and, for sure, the most dominant weekend I’ve had in my career, so that has come at a really great moment.
And also to achieve it on a circuit that requires so much commitment and confidence, I’m really proud of because I think it would have been very easy for me to lose the faith this season. Not necessarily about winning the championship, but in terms of my ability, and that never happened.” He continued, “I’m very proud of the resilience that I and my close group of engineers have shown during the tough periods this year because there’s been a lot of hard work to overcome some of the challenges, to adapt my driving style to suit this new car better. F1 is so tough, you don’t get opportunities to practice this, and finally it’s coming to me a bit more intuitively than it once did, and I’m gaining confidence.” The victory was all the more impressive because Russell had to fend off Red Bull’s four‑time world champion Max Verstappen in the closing laps, after two safety‑car periods erased a sizeable lead. He crossed the line a mere tenth of a second ahead of Verstappen, marking the narrowest margin of victory in an F1 race since 2002.
Sky Sports F1 pundit Jamie Chadwick, a three‑time W Series champion, interpreted the performance as proof that Russell has elevated his game. “He’s definitely stepped up,” she said. “It’s a big points gap but I think the championship is still something to be excited about, which for a lot of us coming into this weekend maybe we didn’t expect. So that’s something to look forward to now.” Former driver and analyst Karun Chandhok also praised Russell’s composure under pressure, noting the significance of beating Verstappen when the Dutchman was applying relentless pressure.
“That last stint from George, he had Verstappen piling the pressure on,” Chandhok remarked. “In some ways that’s more satisfying for George. It’s one thing disappearing off, 10 seconds in the lead and driving by yourself.
But winning under pressure will give him more satisfaction.” If Russell truly has rediscovered his form, the timing could not be better. The Azerbaijan Grand Prix was the first of six races scheduled within a seven‑week window. Next up is the Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia, followed by the Singapore Grand Prix, creating a triple‑header.
After that, the calendar features back‑to‑back events in the United States, Mexico, and Brazil. Complicating matters, Russell faces a looming grid penalty for an engine change later in the season, which will make his task even tougher. Yet simply proving that he can match Antonelli’s pace for the rest of the year would provide a massive psychological boost heading into the 2027 campaign. In recent months Russell has rarely spoken with the confidence he displayed in Baku.
His recent comments suggest his confidence is returning. “There’s much less pressure on me than there is on him,” he observed. “He’s had an incredibly flawless season. Yesterday was probably his first mistake of this whole season in a proper session, qualifying, race, and he still came home in P5 today.
I didn’t really consider myself in this fight for a number of races, purely because my performance wasn’t strong enough. Now I feel like if the season were to have started today, or since the summer break, I feel very much I would have been able to fight. Now I’ve got this big deficit.
It can change quickly. So, I’m not chasing that.
I’m chasing to win every race, and what will be, will be.” The upcoming Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang will be the first race in Malaysia since 2017, offering another high‑speed, high‑downforce challenge that could further test Russell’s renewed confidence. Fans can watch the live coverage on Sky Sports F1, with streaming available via NOW, a contract‑free service that can be cancelled at any time.