F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix: George Russell health update issued after Mercedes star's absence

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George Russell health update issued after Mercedes star's absence

George Russell missed media day on Thursday

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Saturday 20 September 2025 19:57

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An update on Mercedes F1 star George Russell's health has been given, after some key absences across the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend.

Russell missed media day on Thursday, with Mercedes saying in a statement that he was not well enough to be at the track, before also missing media sessions on Friday.

On top of this, Russell was given special dispensation from the medical delegate at the track not to attend the drivers' briefing on Friday evening, where the rules for the weekend are laid out by the race director.

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However, the Brit did take to the track in all three practice sessions, and during FP3 on Saturday morning, he was even able to give feedback to the team about the car.

Speaking following the session, Sky Sports F1's Ted Kravitz provided an update on what's been bothering Russell, and how he was feeling heading into qualifying and the race on Sunday.

"He's been somewhat of a ghost driver this weekend," Kravitz said live on air. "He came into the weekend with a fever, with a sore throat, could barely talk on the radio on Friday but the fact that he was feeling well enough to be complaining on the radio about the car just shows you how much he's improved overnight.

"It's a sore throat, it's a fever, we don't know if it's anything more than that, we don't know if it's the kind of illness that would've seen him ruled out of racing a few years ago, but whatever's wrong with him, it hasn't been affecting his driving."

Will Mercedes need Bottas?

Russell seems to be well enough to compete in the race on Sunday, meaning the team will not need to call upon the services of reserve driver Valtteri Bottas.

Regardless, once a driver competes in qualifying, as Russell did, a team is not allowed to replace the driver, as happened to Aston Martin at the Spanish Grand Prix when they had to race with just one car after an injury for Lance Stroll.

Bottas is yet to have made his grand prix return to Mercedes, the team with whom he raced full-time with between 2017-2021, winning 10 races.

In 2026, Bottas is set to race with Cadillac, having been signed as one half of their driver lineup alongside Sergio Perez for their first season in the sport as the 11th team on the F1 grid.

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Mercedes George Russell Azerbaijan Grand Prix