Very few of us really know what it’s like to drive a Formula 1 car. Even fewer have reached out and touched its outer limits, where the car grabs you by the collarbones and knocks you back in your seat. But George Russell was “born” for those times, he says, and when he describes the blissful feeling of being one with his F1 car, it’s as if he can feel the steering wheel in. their fingers.
“It’s like you’re on the fastest, most exhilarating roller coaster, and you come to a corner without necessarily knowing you’re going to come out on the other side,” he says. “When you do that, it’s incredibly exciting. That’s what a ride feels like every time you push that car to the limit, and you push it so much… so finely that you think it’s enough, but you just don’t know it. This is when going down into this area and feeling in harmony with the car is a very nice feeling.
Adrenaline is addictive, Russell admits, and he was hooked at a young age as he began a young karting career growing up in Norfolk. His reputation as the next big thing has spread across the industry in a whisper, with a unique talent and maturity beyond his years: looking back at interviews with George, 13, is a bit bewildering then. ‘a cherub boy speaks with the sincere clarity of a seasoned athlete.
Russell’s rapid rise has seen him reach F1 in 2019 and impress in a tough Williams car, and soon he will take another huge step forward when he joins Mercedes next season to drive alongside his idol, Lewis Hamilton. “As I went through my years of karting, he was the driver that I admired. Next year I’m in an incredibly privileged position to take on the greatest of all time, learn from and hopefully make me a better rider, and test myself against. “
Earlier this year, Russell made a joke by barely appearing in the hit Netflix series Drive to survive – the closest sports response to Succession filled with drama, tension and rich people getting angry with each other. The show has reached new audiences – “They show a different light to sport and it’s really entertaining to watch,” he says – but Russell will undoubtedly be a main character in season four when his stint to join Hamilton. at Mercedes will be done for a major scenario.
Their relationship dates back further than Hamilton knows, to a stunning 2009 photo featuring an 11-year-old Russell in the background under a mop of hair, patiently awaiting a signing from the world champion. Now 23, Russell is on the verge of being brought to the fore more than ever. What does he think of a spotlight that will only brighten up as he challenges the world championships?
“I’m a racing driver and I just want to race, and if I was totally selfish that’s all I would do, but obviously there’s a lot more to it,” says Russell. “Sponsored events are a big part of that because at the end of the day we can’t run without sponsors and partners. But I was brought up to be a racing driver, not a public speaker. In a way, you were born to be in a race car, not to be in front of the camera, but you get to that level where you’re almost supposed to do both.
George Russell to drive with Lewis Hamilton next season
–
(Getty)
His move to Mercedes will propel him into a new stratosphere of scrutiny and attention, but there are opportunities to be seized on and off the track. Recently he was at the James Bond premiere, a chance to take his girlfriend on a date worthy of true F1 glamor. “It was a cool experience,” he says. His girlfriend works in finance in London but has competed in many races this season. “She lives and breathes sport with me and she often has to make the same sacrifices that I do, whether it’s going to bed early or following a strict diet, not going out for a drink with my friends, or if I do, keeping it.” to clean. She’s supporting me in there, so there must be some benefits, I guess. “
He is also considering moving to Monte Carlo, but the reality of F1 driver life, he insists, is not that luxurious. Airports and hotel rooms become one. “Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot of glamor, and it could be a lot worse, but we don’t do tourism, we don’t go to fancy restaurants, we don’t do any of that. Having known a part of the world, it really is a beautiful place and I would love this opportunity to go there with carte blanche and visit it, but for the moment my priority has just been to be the best driver possible.
His goal is to end his Williams era with strength. There are six races left this season, starting with the United States Grand Prix this weekend, which means six more scoring opportunities before starting a new chapter, when the parameters of success change. The feelings will be pretty much the same, however, and for all the pitfalls that come with Formula 1, the race track is Russell’s happy place. It is enough to listen to him speak to understand him.
“The thrill of trying to make a perfect lap, coupled with the speed, almost takes your breath away,” he said, eyes drifting halfway, fingers on the wheel. “I would like to know how little we breathe during a lap because you are constantly holding your breath and bracing yourself in those corners. And then the cognitive side, this concentration of knowing when to brake, how fast you can shift in the turn, the switches to change on your steering wheel, talking with the engineers during the lap, managing the tires, managing the brakes… You don’t. aren’t just a wild animal that’s thrown into that beast, you’re threading the needle.
–
