Russell vows to keep fighting for 2026 title as he trails Antonelli by 81 points heading to Baku
Image accompanying the official F1 announcement.George Russell said in Baku that he will “keep fighting every single race until it's mathematically impossible” to win this year’s Formula 1 drivers’ championship.
The Mercedes driver heads into the Azerbaijan Grand Prix 81 points behind teammate Kimi Antonelli. Antonelli extended the gap with his eighth victory of the season in Madrid, where Russell finished P5. After that race, Russell had said he was “not in the fight” for the title with nine rounds remaining.
Russell said his focus now is on improving performance rather than dwelling on the standings. He said he wants to try to win every race and take pole each time, and called the points deficit “not even a consideration right now.” He added that the pressure has come more from trying to improve performance than from chasing the title, and said his progress since the summer break has been positive.
He said he has been encouraged by his pace over the last three Grands Prix, in which Mercedes has scored two podiums. Russell said the team’s weakness in race pace has improved “substantially” and that he has been “in the mix every race since the break,” while leaving open how the points picture could change over the rest of the season.
Reporting source: F1 official update