George Russell explains his mindset of going into the qualifications with “open mind” ahead of Mexico GP showdown

George Russell entered the Mexico City GP with a realistic but confident approach as F1 reaches its final stretch of 2025. The Mercedes driver, who currently sits fourth in the championship, believes qualifying remains key to success in a season where front-row starts have largely decided race outcomes.

Russell acknowledged the fine margins at play this year. Thirteen of the 19 Grands Prix so far have been won by the driver starting from pole, underscoring how Saturday's performance can shape Sunday’s result. Reflecting on that trend, the 27-year-old said qualifying continues to be decisive with four teams - McLaren, Red Bull, Mercedes, and Ferrari - evenly matched.

"I think it’s so close between the top four teams, to be honest. And come qualifying, you see the gaps are pretty small,” Russell said ahead of the Mexico GP (via Adam Cooper). “Obviously, you’ve always got one team performing better than the rest at a given weekend — Red Bull last week, that was us in Singapore." "But we know we’re in the fight, and if you do a great job in Q3 you can be on the front row or top three, and then you’re in the fight for the podium. So the truth is, I don’t really have an expectation, and I’m going in with an open mind," he added.

In the last race in Austin, George Russell narrowly missed out on the podium despite being within striking distance in qualifying. Max Verstappen took pole at 1:32.510, while Lewis Hamilton’s 1:32.832 placed him in P5, with Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc, and Russell between them.

On race day, Verstappen’s pace advantage showed again as Norris finished P2, 7.9s behind, and Leclerc finished P3, trailing by another 7.4s. It reflected the season’s recurring pattern.

This weekend in Mexico, Mercedes will have additional data to analyze after reserve driver Frederik Vesti took over Russell’s car in FP1. The Danish rookie completed 32 laps, finishing 1.3 seconds off Charles Leclerc’s benchmark.

George Russell remains one of only four race winners this year, alongside Verstappen, Norris, and Oscar Piastri. He recently signed a new deal to stay with Mercedes through 2026 and has yet to podium at Mexico.

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George Russell enjoys his time in Mexico, sneaks into the grandstands

George Russell of Mercedes and Alexander Albon of Williams at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Source: Getty

While the championship fight continues to intensify, George Russell has also been enjoying the lighter side of F1’s unique atmosphere in Mexico. Before practice got underway, he was seen in the paddock cooking tacos with close friend Alex Albon, wearing a Lucha Libre wrestling mask.

During FP1, the Mercedes driver joined fans in the grandstands at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, wearing a wrestling mask to conceal his identity, blending into the sea of spectators. He later posted a selfie from the crowd on X, writing:

“Haven’t watched F1 cars on track in years, so found a way to sneak into the stands while Fred was driving my car 🎭🤣”

On track, he remains one of the strongest performers since the summer break, collecting more points than all drivers, bar Max Verstappen, in that period. With one win and another podium since Singapore, George Russell has been instrumental in keeping Mercedes (341) ahead of Red Bull (331) and Ferrari (334) in the fight for second place in the Constructors’ Championship.

Edited by Riddhiman Sarkar