George Russell to miss Azerbaijan GP media day due to illness

George Russell is set to miss Thursday’s media duties ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix due to illness.

The British driver had been scheduled to take part in the FIA Drivers’ Press Conference in Baku on Thursday.

Mercedes confirms George Russell is unwell

Russell will be absent from his usual Thursday media duties in Baku, as Mercedes has confirmed the British driver is unwell.

A short statement from a team spokesperson suggested Russell’s illness is short-term in nature.

“George is unwell, so unfortunately won’t be at the track today,” read the statement, “as he’s resting up ahead of tomorrow’s track action.”

Alongside his usual pre-weekend TV appearances and other team duties being off the table on Thursday, Russell’s scheduled spot in the FIA Drivers’ Press Conference has also been filled as the governing body has replaced him with his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli.

Russell isn’t the first driver to miss a media day this year, with Lance Stroll and Charles Leclerc both missing Thursday due to illness this year – both recovered in time to take part in the weekend – while Max Verstappen missed media day in Miami following the birth of his child.

On social media, Russell was shown as part of a small travelling troop of drivers in a chartered jet to Baku, with images of him playing a game of table tennis with Gabriel Bortoleto shared by Valtteri Bottas and Oscar Piastri on Instagram.

The British driver is yet to be announced formally as a Mercedes man next season, although it’s widely expected he and Antonelli will remain the driver line-up.

Speaking at the end of the Italian Grand Prix last time out, Russell confirmed contract talks continue to work towards a mutual ground.

“I haven’t thought about it now, obviously, just thinking about the weekend,” he said after Monza, when asked about whether signing a contract is now high on his list.

“As I said before, it’s moving in the right direction. Ultimately, we’ll let you know when there’s something to report!”

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Mercedes’ boss Toto Wolff has put on record that his team will continue with Russell and Antonelli next year, and that a formal announcement will be low-key in nature.

Such an announcement will seemingly not be coming this weekend, and car performance was high on his agenda as he previewed what might be coming for Mercedes in the coming weeks.

“With the ‘European’ part of the year now complete, we begin the final third of the season this weekend,” he said.

“It will be an intense run to the flag in Abu Dhabi, with three teams in the fight for second in the Constructors’ Championship.

“We lost some ground to our competitors in Monza and know we need to perform better in the closing eight races than we did in Italy if we are to come out on top.

“The ‘flyaway’ races start with two street circuits. First up is Azerbaijan, before we then head to Singapore in two weeks’ time.

“The track in Baku is a challenging mix of high-speed straights, 90-degree corners, and the tight, twisty castle section. It is a good test for both the car and the driver.

“The grid is tight, and once again, small margins will make a big difference; if we deliver in the way we know we can, then we can be hopeful of a strong weekend fighting near the front of the field.”

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