George Russell Answers Fan Questions

George Russell, like all Formula 1 drivers, is now on holiday and relaxing somewhere by the warm sea with his girlfriend Carmen Montero Mundt. In the meantime, the Mercedes press service continues to publish what has been stored in advance. For example, a video appeared today in which George answers questions from fans. Here are some of his answers…

Question: How does a driver sit in a Formula 1 car?
George Russel: Perhaps the easiest way is to show it. Try to lean back and stretch your legs forward – there is such an exercise to train your core muscles. And your legs should be higher than your buttocks – very uncomfortable! In general, the sensations during the race are quite unpleasant: the legs are very hot, they sweat.

Imagine sitting on the edge of a swimming pool for an hour and a half with just your feet in it. They won’t look their best after that; this is what they look like after a race. Not the most pleasant sight.

Q: Tell us about the effect of overload…
George Russel: Imagine that you are driving a regular car and suddenly you hit the brakes – you feel how your body tries to move forward. This happens under the influence of overload, and when we brake at a speed of 330 km/h, the overload reaches a level of 5 g.

They are very taxing on the neck: when you enter a bend, your body is firmly secured with seat belts, but your head tends to fly forward. During training, my neck muscles can withstand loads of up to 55 kg, and I can hold a load of 35 kg for three minutes.

Try placing a weight like that on the side of your head and hold it for 3 minutes! I have a pretty big head, so my neck doesn’t look that powerful, but look at Daniel Ricciardo: he looks like he has a powerful neck, and that’s because his head is the size of a nut!

Q: What is the difference between understeer and oversteer?
George Russel: Understeer is when you turn the steering wheel and the car continues to drive straight. And then your car will hit something with the front.

And oversteer is when you turn the steering wheel, but the car skids and then you hit the barrier with the rear. Generally, in the first case, the front wheels start to slide, in the second case, the rear wheels.

Question: Are all conversations between driver and operator broadcast on radio or television?
George Russel: I answer: absolutely no! If, for example, you hear a racer swearing and it seems to you that there is no specific reason for it, know that what was broadcast was in fact taken out of context.

There is quite a bit of dialogue beforehand, but the TV directors only pick the highlights to entertain you. In general, most drivers communicate with their teams at least once per lap.

Q: How many times do you blink in a circle?
George Russel: During the qualifying lap you don’t blink at all, you’re so focused on the track in front of you. As the race progresses I try to blink on the straights because otherwise my eyes get dry. I probably blink three times a lap on average.

Q: Are there drain holes in the cockpit that allow water to drain out of the car when it rains?
George Russel: For aerodynamic reasons there are no drainage holes, so it is simply wet there when it rains.

Q: How can racers quench their thirst during races?
George Russel: A plastic container is attached behind the seat, and from there a tube is connected to the helmet – it is thrown over the shoulder. If this system does not work, the thirst cannot be quenched.

Q: What are “course limits”?
George Russel: This is an unpleasant thing. On all tracks, these limits are different – for example, somewhere there are asphalt departure zones, and if you cut along the side of the road, you can gain an advantage. Therefore, the track limits are limited by the white line, and if you go beyond it, you will get a fine.