George Russell Mercedes Driver Profile: The British Champion Fighting Back in 2026
George Russell is one of the most complete drivers in Formula 1 today. The British star leads the Mercedes charge in 2026. He won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku on 26 September and is second in the championship with 236 points, 66 behind his team-mate Kimi Antonelli with eight races left. Despite a frustrating run of bad luck this season, Russell refuses to give up on the title. Here is everything you need to know about the man in car number 63.
George Russell: The Basics
- Full name: George William Russell
- Date of birth: 15 February 1998
- Nationality: British
- Car number: 63
- Team: Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1
Russell carries the number 63 as a tribute to his brother Benjy, who raced with that same number during his karting years. It is a small but meaningful detail that shows how grounded he remains.
George William Russell was born on 15 February 1998 and is a British racing driver competing in Formula One for Mercedes. He took up karting at the age of seven, following his brother Benjy, a competitive karter.
Career Highlights and Road to the Top
Russell won the 2017 GP3 Series and the 2018 FIA Formula 2 Championship back-to-back with ART, becoming the fifth driver to win the GP2/Formula 2 championship in their rookie season. Those back-to-back titles caught the attention of the entire paddock.
Russell made his full Formula 1 debut with Williams in 2019. Although the team struggled for pace, he immediately established his reputation for single-lap speed and relentless consistency by out-qualifying his veteran teammate Robert Kubica in all 21 Grands Prix of his rookie season.
He substituted for Lewis Hamilton at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix for Mercedes, but was denied victory due to a team error and a puncture after leading the majority of the race. It was a stunning audition that sealed his future.
In 2022, Russell replaced Valtteri Bottas at Mercedes to partner Hamilton. In his first season, he achieved his maiden pole position in Hungary and his maiden win in São Paulo, finishing fourth in the World Drivers’ Championship. After a winless season for Mercedes in 2023, Russell won the Austrian and Las Vegas Grands Prix in 2024, followed by the Canadian and Singapore Grands Prix in 2025.
As of the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix, Russell has achieved six race wins, 11 pole positions, 11 fastest laps, and 27 podiums in Formula One.
Russell in 2026: title fight and tough luck
The 2026 season began with Russell taking a dominant win, before he experienced a run of misfortune and watched young teammate Kimi Antonelli bag five victories on the bounce.
Russell suffered a battery issue in Canada while leading, and a dubious penalty in Monaco that dropped him outside of the points. By the Austrian Grand Prix in June he had slipped to third place in the standings, 68 points behind Antonelli. It was a painful stretch, but he has since climbed back to second.
But Russell has not stopped fighting. Today at the Red Bull Ring, Russell claimed pole position for the Austrian Grand Prix with a last-gasp qualifying effort that usurped Ferrari pair Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, moments after Max Verstappen dramatically crashed out of Q3. You can read more about that drama in our full report: Austrian GP Pole: Russell Takes Controversial P1 After Verstappen Q3 Crash.
Russell simply lifted off the throttle, losing a little bit of time, but still had enough to take his fourth pole of 2026 from Leclerc by 0.236 seconds. That is the quality that sets him apart. For background on the Verstappen crash that triggered the chaos, see our piece on the Verstappen Austria Qualifying Crash.
Even in his lowest moments, Russell makes clear he still believes title success in 2026 is possible. “When I look at things objectively, if things were to balance out a little bit more, I still think it would be very, very close,” he said.
Driving Style and What Makes Russell Unique
Russell’s racing has been described as “analytical” and “situational,” and he adapts his driving to track and car conditions. Since joining Mercedes, Russell has adapted his driving to take more aggressive and direct V-shaped approaches into corners, drawing comparisons to Mika Häkkinen.
Off the track, Toto Wolff believes no driver on the grid is better equipped than George Russell to handle adversity. Russell is also known for being vocal in driver briefings and representing the grid well in FIA discussions. His future at Mercedes is confirmed too. Wolff has already confirmed Russell for 2027, ending any speculation about his future.
After his win in Baku, 208 points remain in the final eight rounds and Antonelli leads by 66. Our title permutations explain what Russell needs, and the Baku race report shows how he held off Max Verstappen by 0.196 seconds.
The next race is the Bahrain Grand Prix, moved to Sepang in Malaysia, on 4 October.
Profile last updated 27 September 2026.