George Russell to miss F1 Azerbaijan GP media day

George Russell will not attend F1's media day ahead of the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix due to feeling "unwell". 

The Mercedes driver was due to attend Thursday's FIA driver press conference but will be absent from the F1 paddock and will therefore skip his media duties. 

Mercedes anticipate that Russell will have recovered in time for Friday's practice action in Baku. 

"George is unwell so unfortunately won't be at track today, as he's resting up ahead of tomorrow's track action," a Mercedes statement issued to media including Crash.net read. 

Mercedes have not shared any further detail regarding the nature of Russell's illness. 

Kimi Antonelli will replace his Mercedes teammate in the driver press conference. 

What is going on with George Russell's contract?

Russell is still yet to sign a contract extension with Mercedes despite Max Verstappen committing to Red Bull for at least 2026. 

Both Russell and Antonelli are out of contract at the end of the year but are expected to be retained by Mercedes for next season. 

At the Dutch Grand Prix, Toto Wolff insisted Mercedes would continue with both drivers next year. 

"I always say there's not going to be any big news because we're doing this. We're continuing with both of them, of course," Wolff told media including Crash.net at Zandvoort. 

"With George there's a few things where we want to optimise some of the travelling and the marketing days, how many hours we're putting in. He's an experienced driver and for us it's always important to talk about it."

Former Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg has claimed Russell is playing Wolff at his own game as negotiations drag on. 

“It’s horrible to negotiate with Toto and he just disappears off planet Earth when you’re trying to get better terms. He just disappears and just doesn’t even let you talk with him. It’s horrible. I suffered a lot,” Rosberg told The F1 Show podcast. 

“But now, it’s George doing the kind of reverse to Toto. It’s like he’s fighting Toto with his own medicine. George apparently is just not happy with a couple of terms in the contract. George is a Mercedes junior, so certainly he won’t be on a Lando Norris-level salary, by far and away not, and George feels Lando is equal to him.

“George, by any means, can drive at Lando’s level and can win races and championships if he has the car. So of course, he will feel a little bit of that’s not quite fair, that I’m so far away from Lando’s salary."