George Russell Vows to Fight for F1 Title After Topping Azerbaijan Practice
British driver fastest in Baku as he seeks to close a significant points gap to his teammate.
George Russell has declared he will continue to fight for the Formula One world championship despite a significant points deficit, following a strong performance in practice for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Russell set the fastest time around Baku's circuit, outpacing his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli.
The race weekend in Baku is unusually scheduled with qualifying on Saturday and the Grand Prix on Sunday, a change made to accommodate Azerbaijan's national Remembrance Day. This shift presents an opportunity for Russell to build momentum.
Russell currently trails championship leader Antonelli by 81 points with eight or nine races remaining. Antonelli has dominated the season with eight wins, while Russell has secured only two victories. This disparity led Russell to previously concede his title hopes were "all but over," though he stopped short of calling them impossible.
In Thursday's practice session, Russell finished ahead of Antonelli, who experienced a hydraulic failure early in the first session, limiting his running. Russell completed more laps than the 20-year-old Italian, who is in his second Formula One season.
Despite the challenge, Russell remains defiant. "I'm going to keep fighting every single race until the title is mathematically beyond me," Russell stated. "It doesn’t change how I go about my job. I want to try to win every single race and put it on pole every single time. That’s my goal. ... There is obviously a huge deficit, so the performance is the biggest priority."
Russell acknowledged that his season's performance has not been strong enough. The mathematical scenario suggests that even if Antonelli missed the next three races and Russell won them all, he would still be trailing by six points.
Jamie Chadwick Drives F1 Car
In related news, Jamie Chadwick, a three-time W Series champion, has become one of a select group of women to drive a Formula One car. The 28-year-old completed 32 laps in a Williams car at Portugal's Portimao circuit. No woman has competed in an F1 race since Lella Lombardi in 1976, and the search for another female competitor continues. Chadwick drove the FW47 car, which achieved three podiums in the 2025 season. The Williams team reported that Chadwick impressed with her technical feedback and pace. Chadwick described the experience as "phenomenal" and "incredible."