Russell still seeking “sweet spot” of Mercedes W17

George Russell heads into his home race at Silverstone encouraged by recent momentum, but the Mercedes driver believes there is still another level to unlock as he continues to understand the characteristics of the team's 2026 Formula 1 challenger.

Fresh from ending a difficult spell with victory at the Austrian Grand Prix, Russell arrives at Silverstone optimistic that the breakthrough at the Red Bull Ring could mark the beginning of a more consistent run.

However, despite his confidence behind the wheel, the Briton admits he is still learning how to consistently extract the maximum from the W17.

Russell's triumph in Austria ended a frustrating sequence that had included retirement in Canada and a pointless weekend in Monaco.

The result also moved him back into second place in the championship, although he still trails Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli, who has adapted quickly to the W17 and already claimed five victories this season.

Building confidence with the W17

Looking ahead to Silverstone, Russell explained that his personal confidence has never been the issue. Instead, his focus remains on understanding exactly what the car needs from one circuit to the next.

"The game plan [in Great Britain] is just to be as fast as possible. I think I've got 100% confidence in myself but I'm still gaining confidence of how to get the car in the sweet spot,” the Briton explained.

"Last year, if you were to ask me ahead of a session how confident are you that the car is going to be in a good place and you're going to nail the lap, that confidence level was far higher because I understood the car and tyres much more than I do this year but it's improving every race I do."

Russell believes the progress made in Austria was particularly significant because the circuit and conditions have traditionally exposed his weaknesses.

"I think Austria, historically, was a tough track for me – it was a hot race and I had low grip. They're the sort of conditions I usually hate.

"My performance wasn't perfect, wasn't great, but it was substantially better than if that race was three or four races before. Really pleased with the progress I've made with my team to get the car set up in a better place."

The improvement follows a period in which reliability issues in Canada and the realization that his natural driving style did not perfectly suit Mercedes' latest package had cost him valuable championship points.

A new approach for Silverstone

Russell believes recent weeks have given him a much clearer understanding of the changes required, both in the car's setup and in his own driving technique. Those adjustments paid immediate dividends in Austria, and he hopes they will provide a stronger platform for the remainder of the season.

"The last two weeks I think have been a couple of weeks where I've learnt a huge amount from what I need of the car.

"This has been really great to sort of see what I need, how I need to change maybe my driving style, put it into practice and then win the race at the first time of trying this new approach was really great. To win was good, a good step forward and now I can feel to build from there."

If Mercedes can continue refining the W17 around Russell's evolving approach, Silverstone could offer another opportunity to reduce the gap in the championship and further validate the team's recent progress.

Although racing in front of a home crowd naturally adds excitement, Russell insists he will not allow the occasion to alter his mindset. A maiden British Grand Prix victory would be a career milestone, but he intends to approach the weekend with the same focus as any other event on the calendar.

Read also:

• Wolff: Antonelli will never repeat Austrian GP mistakes

"For sure I want to tick the box but I'm not allowing it to give me any more pressure or be any more relaxed. There's so many fans that give you a lot of energy and excitement through the weekend but when the helmet is on, it's business as usual.

"This was my first F1 race when I was 10 years old so it's always really special to come here."

With confidence growing but his understanding of the W17 still evolving, Russell will hope Silverstone becomes the next step in his pursuit of consistently finding Mercedes' elusive "sweet spot."

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