George Russell's Confidence Returns Ahead of Bahrain GP

George Russell stated that he "doesn’t feel lost any more" as he aimed to conclude the season positively and close in on team-mate Kimi Antonelli’s championship lead. He claimed his third race victory of the season in Azerbaijan last weekend, his first win in three months, and indicated that he had achieved a breakthrough in understanding how to drive the Mercedes car. Russell is currently trailing Antonelli by 66 points in the championship with either seven or eight races remaining.

"The thing that’s changed is I feel my performances are strong enough to fight for victory week in week out," Russell commented. "I know what I need from the car and myself and I don’t really feel lost any more."

He added that his confidence was "back and growing again," and that everything was feeling more natural, which he noted had not been the case for most of the season. Mercedes expected a strong challenge from McLaren at the upcoming Bahrain Grand Prix at the flowing Sepang track, which should suit the team's car characteristics. The team introduced their first major upgrade in some time, hoping it would put them in contention.

When asked if another strong performance this weekend could change the psychology of the title fight, Russell reflected, "I’ve never really felt in a position to fight for victories because my performances weren’t strong enough. But now I feel I can fight for victory week in week out. There is a big deficit in the championship, but there is still a third of the season to go, and so much can happen. I’m just going to take it race by race."

Russell noted that he felt more aligned with the car and expressed hope that the latest upgrade would benefit his performance.

He started the season as a championship favorite; however, Antonelli seized control early as Russell struggled with the new Mercedes built under the latest car and engine regulations. Russell acknowledged that he had to "consciously adjust" his driving style. "I went through a few races where I had to think about how to make those adjustments. Now, it’s all just more intuitive and natural," he explained. "What I aimed for, in getting the car into a better window, I’m now achieving without overthinking it. I can just focus on driving fast."

Antonelli faced challenges last weekend in Baku, managing a recovery to finish fifth after a qualifying crash left him 16th on the grid. Despite not being satisfied with his result, he emphasized the importance of maintaining a full effort in every race.