George Russell

In 2018, Russell won the Formula 2 championship, ahead of Lando Norris and Alexander Albon. All three drivers made the move to Formula 1 the following year. Russell made his F1 debut as a teammate to Robert Kubica at Williams, which had a difficult season. In 2020, Kubica made way for Nicholas Latifi, who was overshadowed by Russell throughout the year. The ultimate opportunity for Russell came at the Sakhir Grand Prix, where he replaced Lewis Hamilton, who had tested positive for COVID-19 and couldn't race. Russell drove an excellent race but saw it dramatically end after a pit stop error and a puncture.

After his strong performance for Mercedes and his second-place qualification for the Belgian GP in 2021 (where the race was held behind the safety car for two laps), it was only a matter of time before Russell would be promoted to Toto Wolff's team. This move happened in 2022, with the team parting ways with Valtteri Bottas, and Hamilton getting a new, younger teammate.

Given Russell's previous success, expectations were high leading into his move. However, aside from his first victory in the top class, the 2022 F1 season didn't go as the Brit had hoped. 2023 began better than the previous year, but Mercedes was still unable to seriously challenge Red Bull Racing. Russell finished the season in eighth place in the championship, well behind seven-time world champion Hamilton. Despite the disappointing result, Russell, like his teammate, was offered a contract extension.

After a few underwhelming seasons, Russell hopes to challenge for the World Championship in 2025, alongside rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli. In the second half of 2024, Mercedes clearly showed it could develop its car effectively and capitalize on the mistakes of the competition. Russell has also shown that with a good car, he is capable of securing strong results, as seen in his performance against Hamilton. To win those coveted championships, Mercedes will first need to catch up with the competition. In 2025, the competition will not only include Red Bull Racing, but also McLaren and Ferrari. By the end of 2024, these four teams were very closely matched, and they will certainly not make it easy for each other. In 2025, it will be up to Russell to optimize his results and take the lead over his younger teammate.

The 2024 Formula 1 season started relatively poorly for Russell and Mercedes. While the German team was able to fight in the midfield, a podium finish seemed out of reach in the first few races. Mercedes' luck changed in Canada when Russell secured his first podium of the season at the Circuit de Gilles Villeneuve, followed by his first victory two races later in Austria. A few weeks later, Russell made a spectacular recovery from fifth to first place at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium. However, he couldn't enjoy the win for long, as he was disqualified by the FIA after his car was found to be underweight. Russell finished the 2024 Formula 1 season in sixth place, one spot ahead of his teammate Hamilton.

Since the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix, Russell's relationship with Max Verstappen has soured. The feud started due to an incident during qualifying on Saturday. Both drivers were completing preparatory laps when Russell came up at high speed and had to drive into the gravel to avoid crashing into the Red Bull driver. After the session, both drivers didn't hold back in front of the media. Soon after, both Russell and Verstappen were called in to meet with the race stewards, escalating the situation.

After the meeting, Verstappen told the media that Russell had lied to the stewards, while Russell claimed that Verstappen was "already incredibly angry" and even suggested the Dutchman had threatened to "put him in the wall." Verstappen dismissed these claims. Ultimately, the FIA decided to give Verstappen a one-place grid penalty, which meant he lost his pole position. In the post-race press conference, Verstappen made it clear, saying, "I've never seen anyone try so hard to cause trouble for someone else. I've lost all my respect for him."

As tradition goes, Formula 1 drivers usually go out for dinner towards the end of the season. This was the case again in 2025. Russell entered the restaurant last, and his competitors had sat in a way that left him no choice but to sit next to Verstappen. Russell, however, refused and moved his chair to the other side of the room. The rivalry also came up during the F1 75 Live event at the O2 Arena in London, where the two could at least laugh about it.

Russell reportedly earns around 14 million euros per year at Mercedes, a portion of which is made up of bonuses. His net worth is estimated to be over 15 million euros by 2025.

Russell has been in a relationship with the beautiful investment broker Carmen Montero Mundt since 2020. Before this, he had a brief relationship with Seychelle de Vries, the sister of Nyck de Vries, whom Russell knew from Mercedes' development program.

Several frequently asked questions about George Russell concern his age and height, likely because he is relatively tall for an F1 driver. Russell is 27 years old, stands 1.85 meters tall, and weighs 70 kilograms. He will celebrate his 28th birthday on February 15, 2025.

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