Before the Miami Grand Prix, George Russell spoke in an interview with ESPN about the work of the Mercedes team this season, his mood this weekend and the difficulties that come with it.
Q: The races in Baku and Miami are back-to-back – I think you have a lot of things to do these days. How do you feel after a long flight?
George Russell: Everything is fine, because we do what we love, although the stages in Baku and Miami, separated by a weekly interval, are still difficult – the time difference is 8 hours and the flight takes 14 hours in my opinion.
Q: Have you ever been home?
George Russell: Yes, I stopped by home on the way and slept in my own bed for at least two nights, which is important when you’re away from home about 250 days a year. I’ve got it all done!
Q: This is the fifth race of the season – what can we say about your team’s progress?
George Russell: To be honest, it’s hard to say. Of course, in the past four phases we have learned many lessons, thought a lot and already understood under which conditions the machine works optimally. But we’re not as fast as we should be.
We have to clear a big backlog, because Red Bull Racing is doing very well this year. What they have achieved is impressive, and our direct competitors are Aston Martin and Ferrari. We are fighting almost on an equal footing with them and one team or the other can gain advantages. But in Formula 1 it should be like this.
The progress Aston Martin has shown this year confirms that it is possible to make huge strides forward, and we too will try to get there as soon as possible. But Red Bull is now in its own separate league. However, this only motivates us, which means we have to work better.
Q: Do you feel that over the years you have been playing in Formula 1 you have changed personally or professionally?
George Russell: It is clear that I naturally develop as a driver and as a person, but also in Formula 1 a lot has changed in recent years. The riders participating in this championship are known all over the world and you have to get used to that too. When you’re on vacation somewhere or between races, everyone pays attention to you, and this only confirms the incredible popularity of Formula 1.
As far as I’m concerned I just want to win races and that’s why I’m fighting to the best of my ability and that’s what our whole team is trying to achieve.
Q: Do you say the burden of fame gets wearying?
George Russell: I had such a case: I was once on vacation somewhere in the Caribbean, and at the border control I had not yet had time to show my passport, because the man behind the counter said: “Hello George! How are you?” And it happened, you might say, on the other side of the planet.
There’s some surrealism to it because I’m still the same man I was 10 years ago. I just do what I love to do: racing. It seems to me that I am still a modest and normal person and do not feel that I have become famous. But when people recognize me on the street, I have to remind myself that I’m in Formula 1. In general, this should be taken into account.
Q: What are your memories of last year’s Miami Grand Prix?
George Russell: I remember there was real chaos in the paddock, there were so many people that it was impossible to continue. I remember several celebrities came to the Mercedes host zone. I won’t name names, but I remember when Michelle Obama showed up there, accompanied by security, all these celebrities were kicked out. All in all, it was a pretty funny moment.
But the race was interesting and then we showed a good result. So now I want to see what Miami has in store for us this year.
Q: There is a lot of talk about shortening DRS zones – what are your expectations for this weekend?
George Russell: Since the asphalt pavement has been completely renewed, we will feel a big difference. If the properties of the coating have changed, the behavior of the machine changes significantly. We need to study it, besides, it is very hot here, the temperature of the track reaches 60 degrees.
When we perform in Europe, for example, the asphalt temperatures there are on average between 20 and 40 degrees. Therefore, the tires will simply burn if we drive at full speed. So the Miami Grand Prix promises to be interesting if there is more than one pit stop.
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
