Russell reveals shelved bid to break Nordschleife all-time lap record in F1 car

Max Verstappen’s arrival at the Nordschleife last year sparked huge interest in endurance racing at the legendary German circuit, with Kimi Antonelli recently revealing that he also wants to obtain the permit required to compete in the GT3 class before the end of the year, just like the Dutchman.

Speaking to GPblog and other media outlets, Russell admitted that racing at the Nordschleife is something he would love to do in the future. The Mercedes driver also revealed that he once discussed with Toto Wolff the possibility of taking an F1 car to the legendary German circuit in an attempt to break the all-time lap record, currently standing at 5:19.546, which was set by Timo Bernhard in the Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo back in 2018.

For now, however, Russell remains fully focused on his Formula 1 career and his ambition of winning a world championship: “Right now, I’m focused on trying to win an F1 world championship. Hopefully when I got four under my belt, I’ll go and race the Nordschleife during my F1 season too.”

The Brit has outlined two key changes he would like to see introduced with Formula 1’s next generation of regulations, with the Briton backing both a return to V8 engines and a continued focus on sustainable fuels. Russell also stressed the importance of making the cars significantly lighter, believing reduced weight has already improved both the racing and the overall drivability of the current generation of F1 machinery. According to the Mercedes driver, lighter cars make it easier for drivers to battle wheel-to-wheel and follow each other closely while still allowing for overtaking opportunities.

At the same time, Russell acknowledged that although the early-2000s Formula 1 cars are often remembered as some of the most iconic and exciting in the sport’s history, on-track overtaking during that era was far more limited than it is today. He believes that balance is something Formula 1 must carefully consider when shaping its future regulations.