Russell credits driving-style changes for renewed confidence after Baku victory

George Russell said changes to his driving approach were becoming more natural after his Azerbaijan Grand Prix victory, according to BBC Sport. The Mercedes driver credited sustained work with his engineers for helping him regain confidence following a difficult period adapting to the team's 2026 car.

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Russell's third win of the season reduced his deficit to team-mate Kimi Antonelli from 81 points to 66. He said he now felt capable of competing for wins consistently, but was concentrating on individual race results rather than trying to close the championship gap in one step.

Mercedes' account of the opening practice sessions showed how quickly Russell established his pace in Baku. He led both sessions, with the team reporting reliable running and a productive long run. Russell said the car was competitive over one lap, while its race pace appeared close to McLaren and Red Bull. At that stage, he still expected the margins to shrink in qualifying.

Instead, Mercedes reported that Russell progressed through qualifying by leading both Q1 and Q2 before taking pole with a lap of 1:42.526. The result was his 12th career pole position. Charles Leclerc was more than eight-tenths behind in second, with Oscar Piastri third. Trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin said Russell had been strong throughout the weekend and improved again during qualifying.

Antonelli's preparations were less straightforward. Mercedes said a hydraulic leak interrupted his opening practice session and a precautionary power-unit change also cost him running in the second session. In qualifying, contact with the wall at Turn One ended his participation in Q1 and left him 16th on the grid. The team said the incident followed greater grip than he had anticipated on entry.

Antonelli recovered to fifth in the race, while Russell held off Max Verstappen for victory. BBC Sport reported that Russell had taken three podiums and started on the front row three times in four races since the summer break. Deputy team principal Bradley Lord credited his renewed focus on driving and assembling each stage of the weekend after earlier setbacks.