F1 News
Russell gets Italian sports award and already knows how he will celebrate
- Nicole Mulder
George Russell is presented with the Lorenzo Bandini trophy in Imola. The Italian sports award is presented annually for achievements in Formula 1. To celebrate - as well as the centenary of a historic Mercedes victory - the Briton gets behind the wheel of a classic racing car.
Russell receives Italian sports award
The award, created in 1992 in memory of Italian racing driver Lorenzo Bandini, who died in 1967, will be presented in the village of Brisighella in the Emilia-Romagna region. In 2023, the award went to Lando Norris. Among others, Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton, Daniel Ricciardo, and the Mercedes F1 team previously took the prize.
Before the Grand Prix in Imola, Russell will get behind the wheel of a restored Mercedes that competed in the 1924 Targa Florio race, which the team won at the time. In the 100-year-old car, the 26-year-old driver will drive from the nearby town of Faenza to the ceremony in the town square.
"To drive such an amazing vehicle, not only to celebrate such a momentous victory in Mercedes-Benz's history but en route to collect the Trofeo Bandini Award, makes it extra special. I'm looking forward to a warm reception in Brisighella and thanking the committee for their generous selection," says Russell.
This article was written in collaboration with Olly Darcy
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