George Russell Cuts Antonelli Lead With Baku Grand Slam
The George Russell Baku victory delivered the Mercedes driver his first Formula 1 grand slam. Russell led every lap from pole position and set the fastest lap to claim his eighth grand prix win.
The result cut his championship deficit to teammate Kimi Antonelli from 81 points to 66, with eight rounds left in the 2026 season. Antonelli had qualified 16th after crashing in Saturday’s session, yet he still recovered to finish fifth on Sunday. We covered his reaction to the Baku victory in full once the chequered flag fell.
Full details of how Russell controlled the race from the front are in our race report from Baku.
Russell Admits Early Performance Deficit Cost Title Momentum
Russell says his own form, rather than bad luck, kept him out of the title fight for much of the year. Speaking to Motorsport.com after the race, he said: “I didn’t really consider myself in this fight for a number of races, purely because my performance wasn’t strong enough.”
He believes that has since changed. “Now I feel like if the season had started today, or since the summer break, I feel very much I would have been able to fight,” Russell said.
The numbers back that up. Before the summer break, Antonelli won six races to Russell’s two, and Russell trailed by 59 points. That gap is why his consistent George Russell Baku pace now reads as proof of speed found too late, not a guarantee he can close the championship.
Championship Deficit and Tactical Dynamic With Antonelli
Russell was blunt about where that leaves him. “Now I’ve got this big deficit,” he said, pointing to the points built up earlier in the season.
He is not setting himself a target to chase Antonelli down. “It can change quickly. So, I’m not chasing that. I’m chasing to win every race, and what will be, will be,” Russell added.
He also pointed out that the pressure sits with his teammate rather than himself. “There’s much less pressure on me than there is on him,” Russell said.
Even so, he had little criticism for Antonelli’s response to his Baku crash, detailed in slashing the championship gap in Azerbaijan. “He’s had an incredibly flawless season. [Qualifying] was probably his first mistake of this whole season in a proper session, and he still came home in P5,” Russell said.
Upcoming Timeline as Championship Enters Final Eight Rounds
Eight rounds remain in the 2026 season, and Russell sits 66 points behind Antonelli in the standings. On his own account, he won’t be chasing a specific number over that run. Instead, he plans to keep racing for wins and let the table sort itself out.
Antonelli, despite his rare error in Baku qualifying, still leaves Azerbaijan with the points lead and a season that has otherwise been close to perfect by Russell’s own description. The final eight rounds will show whether Russell’s post-summer break form can do enough to close what remains a sizeable gap.
