George Russell has always carried himself with quiet conviction, but after the 2025 Singapore Grand Prix, that confidence took on an unmistakable edge.
What To Know?
- Russell won the 2025 Singapore GP, his fifth career victory.
- He leads teammate Kimi Antonelli 237–88 in points this season.
- Toto Wolff says Russell’s new Mercedes deal is “super near.”
“I feel ready to fight for a championship,” he declared, unprompted, in the post-race interviews after driving his Mercedes to an emphatic win under the lights of Marina Bay.
It was a triumph that not only reignited the debate over who stands as Formula One’s “best of the rest” behind Max Verstappen but also served as poetic redemption.
Just two years ago, at this very circuit, Russell endured one of the most painful moments of his career, crashing on the final lap of the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix while chasing Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz for victory. This time, the ghosts were banished.
Given a Mercedes finally capable of challenging the McLarens and Red Bulls, Russell took the moment. Two laps good enough for pole position on Saturday. Calm, clinical control on Sunday. And when the chequered flag fell, a fifth career Grand Prix win to his name.
“I’m a Very Different Driver Now”
Russell’s performance in Singapore was not merely a display of speed; it was a statement of growth.
“I’m a very different driver today to the one I was a couple of years ago,” the 27-year-old Brit explained. “And I feel more complete, more confident. I know exactly what I need to do in given circumstances.”
Those words carried the weight of experience. Since joining Mercedes in 2022, Russell has faced every possible test: internal competition, external pressure, near misses, and moments of heartbreak. Yet through it all, his belief has remained unshaken.
“Of course, I was nervous before the race as you’d expect,” he admitted. “But I didn’t feel any additional nerves or any additional pressure. It just felt like another race, and I knew I had a chance to win, and I felt comfortable with that.
“I’ve said it for a while — I feel ready to fight for a championship. I feel ready to take it to my next step.”
That next step may depend on Mercedes as much as on Russell himself.
The Waiting Game: Contract Talks and Verstappen Rumours
Russell’s contract saga has been one of the more curious storylines of 2025. Despite outperforming his new teammate, 19-year-old Kimi Antonelli, at every one of the 18 races so far, leading the Italian 237 points to 88, the Briton’s future with Mercedes still hangs in a delicate balance.
Since Lewis Hamilton left for Ferrari, and despite Russell’s performances, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has made no secret of his attempts to lure Max Verstappen away from Red Bull.
Back in June, Russell even suggested that his own extension was being held up by the team’s pursuit of the Dutchman.
When Verstappen finally reaffirmed his Red Bull loyalty in late July, committing through at least the end of 2026, the logical assumption was that Russell’s renewal would follow quickly. But as of writing this heading into mid-October, no official deal has been signed.
Wolff’s latest update in Singapore was optimistic. “He’s been formidable this year,” Wolff said. “I haven’t seen mistakes. There were weekends that he himself said, ‘I could have done more, and it wasn’t a good race’. But this happens with any driver.
“You can see when it just merges — the car being in a perfect space, and the driver being on top of things — that becomes a dominant formula, and that is what we’ve seen here.
“Contract-wise, good things take a while, it’s about the detail, and it’s not about the big topics.”
Translation: Mercedes and Russell are sticking together. It’s just a matter of ink on paper.
The Formidable Factor
In a season where McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris have stolen headlines with their duel for the championship, Russell’s relentless consistency has quietly made him one of 2025’s standout performers.
The numbers are stark. Eighteen races, eighteen times finishing ahead of Antonelli. Five victories across his career, all achieved with a car that, for the most part, hasn’t been the class of the field.
He’s also shown shades of Verstappen’s mental toughness. When the car’s quick, he delivers. When it’s not, he still extracts the maximum.
That mirrors what Wolff described as a “formidable” season, and what the wider paddock is finally beginning to recognise.
The Verstappen Comparison
Few would argue that anyone has matched Verstappen’s sheer dominance since his 2021 title breakthrough. Yet if there’s a driver who has earned the right to be mentioned in the same breath, it might just be Russell.
It’s hard to compare drivers across teams, but within their own garages, both have demonstrated total authority. Verstappen’s control over Sergio Pérez at Red Bull is well-known. Russell’s over Antonelli this year is nearly identical in scale.
At times, the Briton’s comments about McLaren’s “unbelievable” MCL38 hinted at a deeper frustration. With machinery like that, he might already be a world champion.
The Dutchman, meanwhile, has suggested that he could have been “just as dominant” had he been in McLaren’s position this year — a reminder that even from afar, Verstappen has kept a close eye on the competition.
The Road Ahead
Russell’s resurgence comes at an intriguing time in Formula 1. Hamilton’s move to Ferrari, Verstappen’s decision to stay put, and McLaren’s unexpected dominance have reshuffled the sport’s hierarchy.
And yet, Russell’s Singapore triumph, achieved on the very track that once broke his heart, suggests the Mercedes driver is quietly positioning himself as the next major force in Formula One.
As for whether he’s the best of the rest behind Verstappen? That depends on your definition. But few can deny that Russell has evolved into something formidable, a driver with the poise of a veteran, the hunger of a challenger, and the speed to back it all up.
If 2026 brings Mercedes back into championship contention, the real question might not be if George Russell can fight for a title, but how soon he’ll win one.
And perhaps, just perhaps, how long it will take before the conversation shifts from “best after Verstappen” to “best full stop.”
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