George Russell is putting in consistently strong performances, but he is being overshadowed in the Formula One headlines by his old and new teammates.
Alongside Lando Norris, there is another constant on the podium after the first two Grands Prix of the 2025 Formula 1 season: George Russell. He finished third in both Australia and China.
Nevertheless, the spotlight was only on him for a short time before turning to other destinations. This is mainly because, although he got the maximum out of his Mercedes in both races, it was without much drama. The excitement was elsewhere, both on and off the track.
In the early part of the season, Russell was somewhat of a peripheral figure in the big Formula 1 stories – such as the meticulously staged first week of his former team-mate Lewis Hamilton at his new employer Ferrari in Maranello.
If Russell was discussed at all, then only briefly, for example in the form of the question of whether he could prove himself as Mercedes team leader, a question for the crystal ball and not exactly the most exciting in Formula 1. Or whether his new teammate Kimi Antonelli would drive him into the ground.
Oh yes – and whether George talks to Max Verstappen again or not…
Why Russell is driving under the radar
In addition, the new Mercedes color scheme is so deliberately inconspicuous that the Formula 1 TV director only switches to the W16 when it is sideways or loses parts of the underbody after a trip over the curbs. Most of the time, that was the Mercedes with Antonelli at the wheel.
In Melbourne, Russell had a race that could hardly have been more straightforward under the given conditions. Ultimately, he benefited from Oscar Piastri’s excursion into the grass to climb from fourth on the grid to third.
But it was also he who made the decision to switch to intermediates at exactly the right moment – immediately after Piastri’s excursion.
George Russellpb¿After the race, Russell talked about his initial fear of making the wrong choice: In the first two sectors, he was initially slower on the intermediates, but the last sector was fast enough to more than make up for the losses. Then the rest of the track adapted as well.
Russell emphasized how intensively he had prepared for all eventualities with the pit crew and strategists, as Mercedes has not always reacted perfectly to changeable conditions in recent years. It was an interesting race, but not one for spectacular TV replays – especially since Antonelli drove from 16th place to fourth place, including a spin and an allegedly unsafe release in the pit lane.
“Sometimes he gets more out of the car than it actually has,” said Wolff after the Australian race. And in China, Wolff took up this topic again. ‘He doesn’t make any mistakes, he’s a true leader in the team, and we’re lucky to have him,’ he enthused there.
Much praise from Wolff, but also a new contract?
Russell’s problem, at least in terms of public perception, is that Antonelli’s race is always accompanied by drama and attention.
After the chaos of Melbourne, he caused a stir again in China, even when he was stuck in the midfield because a damaged floor plate was affecting performance. His slight push of Esteban Ocon into the grass when the Haas passed with DRS was a highlight for any replay.
It was almost as if Russell hadn’t finished fourth in the sprint race and hadn’t qualified on the front row for the Grand Prix. Of course, he lost a place to the faster McLaren of Lando Norris at the start, but he built up a lead over Verstappen and the two Ferraris when these cars had various problems of their own during the first stint.
Crucially, he realized early on that a one-stop strategy was possible – but was aware that it was better not to reveal this information over the radio.
Nevertheless, a car that was running in third place alone was not a big attraction for the TV broadcast, which – as in Melbourne – focused on the developing Ferrari soap. Russell only came into focus when Norris had brake problems on the last lap and the Mercedes caught up with him.
It was the perfect metaphor for how the season is likely to unfold: Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari as pursuers, dependent on conditions and track characteristics, but with no real chance of catching up with McLaren without external influences.
“George is a fighter, in and out of the car,” said Wolff after the race in China. “I never give ten out of ten points because there is always room for improvement – we haven’t seen the perfect race yet.”
“But under the circumstances today, it was a ten out of ten, because he got the maximum out of the tires, the car and the strategy – a brilliant drive. All the discussions about Lewis are there because he is the biggest personality in the sport – his move to Ferrari is of course a great story. Kimi comes to the team as the youngest driver with a lot of potential. But George has been talked about little.”
“I’ve always said that’s not right, because he’s one of the best drivers out there. If I had to name three top drivers, he’d definitely be one of them – if not in the top two. And maybe on his way to being number one.”
Nevertheless, Wolff avoided answering questions about the state of Russell’s contract negotiations when asked in the context of these praises. His current contract expires at the end of the season, and there are rumors that Wolff is trying to lure Max Verstappen to Mercedes as his dissatisfaction with Red Bull grows.
So how should we read Wolff’s PR campaign for Russell? A distraction to hide the real mission around Verstappen? Or just what it seems: credit where credit is due as the team finally turns a corner in the era of ground effect?
