Russell: ''I'm more in the spotlight now than in a Formula 1 race''

George Russell won Sunday night again the virtual Grand Prix and could this time toast with champagne after the race in the streets of Monaco. For Russell it's been a while since he won and so every victory does him good.

"I think this does my reputation good, yeah. I get more publicity from winning an esports race than when I finished a Formula 1 race at the back of the field. I'm doing everything I can, so people can see what I can do. That's what I did last year and will continue to do in the years to come", says Russell to Sky Sports.

Russell imagined it so different. As a Mercedes junior and a Formula 2 championship in his pocket, he had the opportunity to debut at Williams in 2019, but things were even worse there than in 2018. Russell didn't expect to win with Williams, but driving in the back was the other extreme.

His victory in Abu Dhabi in 2018 was Russell's last real victory, but he also likes the virtual victories he's winning now. ''It actually feels really good to win and I forgot a bit about that. Especially when you're racing against friends in F1, it's nice when you can win.''

For Russell, Simracing is much more than just a game. ''I didn't expect it before, but I'm really enjoying it now. You start for fun, but soon you find out how fast everyone is. Then of course you don't just want to participate, but you really want to win and I've put some time into that'', concludes Russell, who crowned his training hours with a dominant victory in Monaco.