Russell reports Mercedes breakthrough after Azerbaijan victory

George Russell says he has regained confidence in his Mercedes after winning the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, describing a better understanding of the car following months of difficulty. BBC Sport reported that the British driver's Baku success was his third victory of the season and his first in three months, following earlier wins in Australia and Austria.

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Russell said the improvement was not simply a change in results. He now believes his own performances are good enough to compete regularly for victories, having become clearer about what he needs from both the car and his driving. According to the BBC report, he said he no longer felt lost, with confidence returning as his approach became more natural.

The adjustment has been significant in a season shaped by new car and engine regulations. Russell began the campaign as the championship favourite, according to BBC Sport, but struggled to adapt to the Mercedes while team-mate Kimi Antonelli established control of the title contest. Russell said he had needed to make deliberate changes to his driving style rather than rely on his usual instincts.

Those changes are now becoming more automatic. Russell explained that, over several races, he had needed to think consciously about how to make the adjustments. He said he could now place the car in a more effective operating range without the same mental effort, allowing him to concentrate more fully on driving quickly. His assessment was that the work was finally producing the response he wanted.

Despite that progress, Russell remains 66 points behind Antonelli. The BBC reported that either seven or eight races remained, leaving the precise number unresolved. Russell acknowledged the size of the deficit and said he would approach the rest of the campaign one race at a time, rather than treat his renewed confidence as a guarantee of a championship recovery.

Antonelli, meanwhile, described Baku as probably his weakest weekend of the season. A qualifying crash left him starting 16th, before he recovered to fifth in the race. The Italian said he deliberately limited risks on Sunday to secure a clean result after the earlier disruption, and took away the lesson that he needed to maintain full concentration and execution throughout a weekend.