George Russell following his revitalizing victory in Baku: "It could have been quite simple for me to lose my confidence."

For a man who had long been waiting for competitive machinery, only to be eclipsed by a newcomer when the opportunity for a title finally arose, the Azerbaijan weekend served as a revitalizing boost that acknowledged the effort he had been putting in behind the scenes to turn his fortunes around, reaffirming that he was right to maintain his self-belief.

"It feels fantastic," Russell said, reveling in his first win since the Austrian Grand Prix in June. "I’m extremely proud of the resilience that both I and my dedicated team of engineers have shown during this challenging year because there has been a considerable amount of hard work to tackle the difficulties and adapt my driving style to align better with this new car."

"F1 is incredibly demanding; you don’t get chances to practice this, and finally, it’s becoming a bit more intuitive for me than it used to be, and I'm building my confidence. Especially on tracks like this, it allows you to push a little harder on the brakes, get a bit closer to the barriers, and it’s been a perfect weekend."

George Russell held off a charging Max Verstappen after a double safety car bunched up the field.

He continued: "I never lost faith in myself. Even during the tough times, I understood that there was a reason for my lack of pace. It wasn’t that I suddenly forgot how to drive; I knew I would rediscover it again. I just needed to be patient."

Although he still trails Antonelli by 66 points, making a title comeback a challenging endeavor, Russell at least felt he was back on an equal footing, approaching each race weekend with the potential to replicate his Baku performance.

"I feel confident. It’s been four races since the break. I've been on the front row in three of them, achieving three podium finishes out of four. I believe I can contend for victory on a weekly basis now," the Briton asserted after fending off a relentless Max Verstappen to claim a grand slam, which entails winning from pole position while leading every lap and recording the fastest lap of the race.

"I think this is probably my first grand slam in Formula 1 and, without a doubt, the most dominating weekend I’ve experienced in my career. So, it has come at a really opportune time. Additionally, achieving it on a circuit that demands so much commitment and confidence makes me truly proud."

"It would have been very easy for me to lose faith this season. Not necessarily about clinching the championship, but regarding my own capabilities, and that never occurred."