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George Russell on Track to Set a Personal Record This Season

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Kevin Binoy | Last updated Aug 22, 2025 3:54 PM ET

George Russell has always been seen as the reliable wingman at Mercedes, quietly doing his job while Lewis Hamilton grabbed most of the spotlight. But with Hamilton’s departure, the dynamic inside the garage has shifted, and Russell suddenly finds himself as the team’s leading man.

Far from being weighed down by the pressure, he looks like he’s thriving in it. Week after week, his performances have been sharper, more consistent and backed up by numbers that suggest this could be the best campaign of his Formula 1 career. If he keeps this form going, Russell isn’t just proving he can carry Mercedes forward, he’s on course to smash a personal milestone by the season’s end.

George Russell has been making Saturdays his playground this year. Known more for his steady race craft than raw qualifying pace in the past, he has flipped the script in 2025 with a string of sharp one-lap performances. He kicked things off with a P4 in Australia, backed it up with a front-row start in China, and has been a regular fixture inside the top five ever since.

George Russell is on pace to have his best season in qualifying

Average qualifying position
2019: 18.29
2020: 14.76
2021: 12.59
2022: 6.45
2023: 6.50
2024: 5.17
2025: 4.43 pic.twitter.com/HNYDmMAsSJ
— Daniel Valente ️ (@F1GuyDan) August 22, 2025

The only real dip came in Monaco, where Mercedes struggled across the board and Russell had to settle for a lowly 14th. But he bounced back, even grabbing a pole in Canada to underline just how far he has come. Fourteen races in, his average qualifying position sits at 4.43 — comfortably ahead of his previous best of 5.17 set last season. If he maintains this consistency through the remainder of the year, Russell will officially notch his best-ever qualifying record in Formula 1.

A Closer Look at the 2025 Season for George Russell

George Russell has quietly been piecing together one of his most complete seasons in F1, even if Mercedes nearly derailed it with a failed rear suspension upgrade. He started strong, keeping things tidy in a tricky opener to snatch a podium after Oscar Piastri’s misfortune. Another podium followed when he impressively split the McLarens in qualifying, though Lando Norris still found a way past on Sunday.

Suzuka was a missed chance thanks to a qualifying error, but in Bahrain he was outstanding penalized through no fault of his own yet still holding off Norris late despite issues with the car.

The heat hurt him in Jeddah, and Miami was scrappy, with rookie teammate Kimi Antonelli outqualifying him, but Russell still bagged another podium thanks to clever timing on a Virtual Safety Car.

Monaco was a disaster after a car failure, but he bounced back with fourth in Spain and then stole Mercedes’ only win of the season in Montreal. As things stand, Russell is only 15 points behind four-time world champion Max Verstappen and an impressive 108 points ahead of Antonelli.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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