George Russell says he will focus on helping Mercedes win the Constructors' title
George Russell has conceded that his Drivers’ Championship prospects are effectively over and will concentrate on contributing to Mercedes’ bid for the Constructors’ title.
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Russell finished P5 at the Madring and is 81 points behind teammate Kimi Antonelli.
He told media he is "realistically not in the fight for the drivers'" and will focus race by race to help Mercedes secure the Constructors' Championship.
The statement formalises a team-role shift that can influence intra-team strategy and priorities across the remaining races.
Mercedes ran Russell on a two-stop sequence triggered by an early Virtual Safety Car; he finished behind Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.
Team radio exchanges during the race highlighted disagreement over the second stop.
Russell accepted the team's tyre assessment after the race and framed the outcome as limiting his title chances.