Mercedes Performance Summary
In cooler weather conditions, Mercedes emerged prominently. Antonelli showed strong performance from the beginning, putting pressure on Lawson during the initial stint. Russell had to navigate past Tsunoda but quickly caught up to his teammate. An early pit for Antonelli aimed to undercut Lawson, and although it didn’t work immediately, he successfully passed him on the track. Russell opted for a long first stint and managed to overtake both his team-mate and Sainz. Ultimately, a podium finish was secured, a remarkable feat considering his recent illness. Antonelli finished P4, marking his best result since Canada.
George Russell, 2nd Place
“I’m really happy to return to the podium. It has been a tough streak of races and I wasn’t feeling well this weekend, which made today more challenging. I was thrilled to see the chequered flag! Congrats to Carlos (Sainz) and Williams for their hard-earned results. The car felt great throughout, and Kimi did a fantastic job to finish P4 as well. This is crucial for our points as we compete with Ferrari and Red Bull for second place in the Constructors’ Championship. We hope to build on this in the final seven races of the season.”
Kimi Antonelli, 4th Place
“Today was a significant improvement over my recent races. However, I’m still a bit disappointed not to reach the podium. We closed the gap to Carlos (Sainz) in the last laps but couldn’t find the pace to make a move. Congratulations to him and Williams. Despite aiming for more, it was a solid result for our team, gaining points on Ferrari and reclaiming second in the Constructors’ Championship. The field is closely packed, but we aim to maintain momentum going into Singapore in two weeks.”
Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
“This was a strong weekend for our team, leaving Azerbaijan with promising results. Securing P2 for George and a solid P4 for Kimi boosts our morale. Although we aspire to be on the top step of the podium, this brings positive energy after the challenges faced in recent races. Congratulations to Carlos (Sainz), James (Vowles), and Williams for their P3 finish, which they earned fair and square. Kimi did well to get past Lawson, showcasing his capability despite previous struggles. George’s performance was commendable, especially considering his health challenges this weekend.”
Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director
“Our performance this weekend in Azerbaijan has been solid and carried through to race day. We executed well from both teams, returning to the podium and earning good points with P4. We hadn’t tested medium or hard tires during practice, so it was satisfying to see the car perform well on both. We varied tire strategies for the start due to the unknowns and many cars out of place. George capitalized on this effectively to secure P2 with a well-timed pit stop. It was impressive, especially given his less-than-ideal health. Kimi managed his medium tires effectively and finished P4 after a notable pass on Lawson, closing in on Sainz despite the challenging pace of Williams.”
