George Russell Tames Tricky Mercedes to Finish 2025 as 'Best of the Rest'

George Russell's 2025 season was a tale of resilience and leadership, as he navigated a notoriously tricky Mercedes to establish himself as the clear team leader. Despite the car's inconsistencies, Russell secured two victories and consistently outperformed his rookie teammate, Kimi Antonelli, to finish third in the drivers' standings and spearhead Mercedes' push to second in the constructors' championship.

Why it matters:

This season was crucial for Russell, definitively stepping out of Lewis Hamilton's shadow to prove his mettle as a number one driver. His ability to extract maximum performance from a flawed car not only solidified his status within the team but also positioned him as the cornerstone of Mercedes' ambitions as they look toward the 2026 regulatory changes.

The details:

• Strong Start: Russell began the year with a flurry of podiums in Australia, China, Bahrain, and Miami, immediately establishing a competitive pace.
• Mid-Season Slump: The team's introduction of a problematic suspension upgrade at Imola derailed his momentum. Correlation issues masked a design flaw, leading to several difficult weekends, including his only finish outside the top 10 (11th in Monaco).
• Resilience and Setbacks: He bounced back to win in Canada but faced further frustration from a penalty in Austria and a "bold but ultimately wrong" strategy call at his home race in Silverstone, where he finished 10th.
• Late-Season Surge: After Mercedes reverted to its previous suspension concept, Russell found consistency. He scored a stunning pole-to-flag victory in Singapore—a race he admitted was low on his list of expected wins—and added further podiums in the US, Brazil, and Qatar.

By the numbers:

• 319 points: Russell's final championship tally, more than double his teammate's.
• 150 points: Rookie Kimi Antonelli's total, a solid debut season but clearly second fiddle.
• 25-5: Russell's dominant qualifying head-to-head record against Antonelli.
• P2: Mercedes' final position in the Constructors' Championship, securing "best of the rest" honors.