Just before the Austrian GP, George Russell sends a surprising message to Mercedes – what does it reveal about his true intentions? Find out how this could change the team’s dynamic forever.
George Russell showed his caring side to his Mercedes team ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix as he asked for water to be provided for his mechanics ahead of the race
George Russell displayed how much of a team player he is at the Austrian Grand Prix(Image: Formula 1 via Getty Images)
George Russell displayed his exceptional team spirit by urging his Mercedes crew to stay hydrated during the sizzling Austrian Grand Prix. With conditions soaring up to 30 degrees on a sweltering Sunday at Spielberg, Russell made the thoughtful call just before engines roared into action.
The attentive Brit – who won the Canadian Grand Prix earlier this month – was heard over the team radio issuing a heartfelt reminder: “Make sure there’s plenty of waters for the mechanics. Everyone’s dripping.”
His mindful approach towards his team-mates’ welfare is further evidence of the considerate Russell possesses for those in his team. The driving star has steadily built a reputation for congeniality combined with an uncompromising work ethic.
Jost Capito, the former Williams CEO, described Russell as demanding – a trait that he believes will forge him into world championship material. While at Williams, where he kick-started his F1 career, Russell’s high expectations were clear, and Capito wholeheartedly embraced this.
He said: “It makes it not easy to work with him because he demands a lot. But I love the drivers who demand a lot and really challenge the team and are never happy, because those are the guys that will be World Champions in the future,” reports the Express.
It was a scorching day at Spielberg (Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)
Russell, who secured fifth place on Sunday, has been hailed as a “lovely guy” by writer Matt Whyman, who contrasted his personality with that of former Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton.
Penning a revealing book about the Silver Arrows behind the scenes in 2024, Whyman told the Mirror: “George is a lovely guy. I think he is very, very smart, very switched on, very driven. Where George is very prescriptive and very lyrical and describes things in a very accurate way, Lewis is much more emotional about his description of what is going on with the car.
“It is how he feels – is he happy with this, is he not happy with this? It is very interesting listening to the difference between them, yet they both provide this raft of information.”
During Sunday’s race, the intense heat contributed to Russell’s less-than-stellar performance despite already having five podiums under his belt this season. Post-race, Russell elaborated on Mercedes’ sluggish speed, pointing to the persistent issue of their overly temperature-sensitive vehicle, which remains unresolved despite numerous efforts.
Lando Norris captured his third Grand Prix victory of the season on Sunday(Image: Formula 1 via Getty Images)
Finishing over a minute behind race winner Lando Norris, Russell told the media: “I was expecting a bad race and it was worse than I even could imagine. The problems are so clear. Coming off the back of Canada with the win with no tyre overheating, [where] we were the quickest.
“But as soon as you get to a track where there’s a bit of overheating, we drop off so much. The team have been working so hard for six months now to try and solve this issue. We’ve got ideas, but we’re not really making major headways right now.”
After Sunday’s race, Russell sits fourth in the World Drivers’ Championship standings with 146 points and is just nine points behind Max Verstappen who retired on the first lap after he was hit by Russell’s team-mate Kimi Antonelli.
