George William Russell is a talented British racing driver currently competing in the prestigious Formula One championship for the renowned Mercedes team.
He raced for Williams from 2019 to 2021. He achieved his first-ever Formula One victory at the São Paulo Grand Prix in 2022.
George Russell Early Life
George William Russell was born in Norfolk, England, on February 15, 1998. From a young age, he developed a deep passion for racing and felt a strong connection as he grew up.
George’s father was also a passionate motor racing enthusiast who frequently took him to races whenever the opportunity arose.
As he matured, his passion for motorsport intensified, leading him to aspire to become a professional race driver.
Since a young age, George displayed exceptional driving skills and received guidance from renowned instructors in the field of motorsport.
After achieving multiple domestic and international karting titles, George shifted his focus to single-seater racing in 2017. In the BRDC British F3 Championship, he raced for the first time with Carlin Motorsport.
Throughout the season, he made significant progress and gained valuable knowledge about car setup and driving style.
In 2018 he switched teams and joined Hitech GP for the European F3 Open and Euroformula Open races.
He achieved an impressive fourth place overall in both championships and also secured two third-place finishes during the season.
In 2019, George signed with DAMS Racing for their Formula 2 campaign. He showcased his talent at Silverstone during Rounds 9 & 10, and shortly after, he joined ART Grand Prix mid-season.
George’s impressive performance during testing before the Abu Dhabi finale earned him three top-ten finishes out of five starts.
This marked the end of a remarkable year for George, during which he gained valuable experience in various cars and developed new skills.
These experiences would prove invaluable as he transitioned to Formula One with Williams Racing starting in 2021.
George Russell F1 Career
When Mercedes signed Russell, a bright young Brit, to their Junior Team in 2017, everyone in Formula One took notice. As a result of the deal, Russell became their test/reserve driver for the season.
He had the opportunity to participate in the 2017 Budapest Test for the Silver Arrows. He made a few appearances in FP1 for Force India later in the season.
Russell later joined Williams and Force India as their test and reserve driver for the 2018 season. Additionally, he became a Mercedes test driver alongside Pascal Wehrlein.
Mercedes
However, everything changed for one weekend when Lewis Hamilton tested positive for Covid-19. As a result, George Russell was allowed to drive for Mercedes during that time.
Russell, driving the fastest car on the grid, secured an impressive 2nd place in qualifying and successfully overtook his teammate Valtteri Bottas at the beginning of the race.
Russell, who was still learning the car on his first weekend with the team, managed to maintain a comfortable lead over Bottas and appeared poised to secure the victory.
However, Mercedes made a mistake during Russell’s pitstop, and later in the race, a puncture further ruined any chance of securing the win. Russell finished the race in 9th place and received praise from everyone for his outstanding performance throughout the weekend.
Williams
After achieving great success in the junior categories, Russell was allowed to join Williams in Formula One for the 2019 season.
He would be partnering with the experienced Formula One veteran Robert Kubica. Russell made a strong impression in his first season with his remarkable speed, consistently outqualifying his teammate in every race.
While the absence of a competitive car may have obscured Russell’s potential, the significant gap between him and Kubica demonstrated that Russell possessed exceptional talent.
While Kubica was the driver who scored a point for the team, Russell showcased his potential throughout his debut season by consistently outqualifying Robert at every race.
In the 2020 season, Russell had Nicholas Latifi as his teammate. The Williams car faced difficulties narrowing the gap to the midfield, leaving Russell behind as a bookmarker for yet another season.
The season would unfold similarly to Russell’s debut, as he consistently out qualified his teammate in every race weekend.
Once again, Williams
Russell returned to Williams after his substitute stint at Mercedes and promptly began to shine there. With 3 points from the Sakhir GP, he would finish the season in 18th place.
George Russell Biography in Brief
Name: | George William Russell |
Nick Name: | Mr. Saturday |
Age: | 25 |
Born: | 15 February 1998 |
Height: | 6′ 1″ft |
Weight: | 154.3lbs |
Country of Origin: | King’s Lynn, England |
Net Worth/Salary | $3Million |
Wife/Girlfriend | George Russell |
Relationship Status | Unmarried |
Kids- | 0 |
Father | Steve Russell |
Mother | Alison Russell |
Siblings | Cara, Benjy |
Social Media | Twitter – Instagram – Facebook |
George Russell Net Worth 2023
According to reports, Russell earns $8 million annually and has an estimated net worth of $16 million. If he were to win the championship, he would be awarded a bonus of $3 million. Most of his income has been derived from Formula One. However, he has also earned a substantial amount through endorsements and various other forms of racing.
George Russell Salary 2023
George Russell earns $8 million from Mercedes-AMG Petronas, the team he races for. At the beginning of the season, he took over Valtteri Bottas’ position.
He joined forces with Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time world driver’s champion. Currently, he holds the fourth position. However, he will receive a three-million-dollar bonus if he emerges as the champion.
George Russell Awards
George Russell has earned numerous awards and accolades in the field of racing. In 2014, he emerged as the victor of the Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup, giving him the esteemed Theodor-Gillen Award.
This accolade recognized his exceptional excellence, determination, and courage throughout the racing season. Furthermore, in 2015, he achieved the remarkable feat of winning both the F3 Euro Series Title and the Rookie of the Year title.
In 2016, George advanced to GP3, achieving an impressive third place overall. He showcased his exceptional driving skills by winning two races at Silverstone and Spa, earning him an excellent reputation as a driver on both British circuits.
After achieving success, George made his way to Formula 1 in 2018 as a driver for Williams Martini Racing. He was one of only five rookies that year who had yet to gain prior experience on the grid.
Despite facing tire problems throughout 2018, he finished 11th in his maiden race in Bahrain. His impressive performances in subsequent races earned him praise from fans across Europe.
George Russell Achievements
His podium finishes at Magny-Cours, Minehurst Park, and Donington Park (twice) in 2019 were particularly noteworthy.
These achievements propelled him into championship contention as the 2020 season was delayed due to the CoVid-19 pandemic.
After returning to racing, he won the FIA Driver of The Day three times. Notably, he secured 9th place in Hungary and 5th place at Sakhir while driving for the Mercedes AMG F1 team.
These results demonstrated his true potential, surpassing the limitations of the Williams Martini Racing team car.
In 2021, George made history by signing with Mercedes AMG Petronas as the first black racer ever. Once the season hits full swing, his talent behind the wheel will undoubtedly bring in more awards.
George Russell Fun Facts
- Russell’s Formula One debut occurred at the 2019 Australian Grand Prix, where he drove for the Williams team.
- He is currently a racer for the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 team. Before competing in Formula One, Russell achieved championship victories in Formula 2, GP3, and Formula 3.
- In addition, he achieved the esteemed McLaren Autosport BRDC Award in 2013.
- Russell had his first experience in Formula One in 2017 when he competed in the Brazilian Grand Prix for Force India.
- Russell achieved his first podium finish in Formula 1 with Williams at the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix.
- Russell started karting at seven and experienced success when he was nine.
- In 2009, I became the MSA British and British Open Champion. I continued my success in 2010 by winning another championship using a Rotax Mini Max kart.
- Russell achieved his best result at the 2022 F1 Dutch Grand Prix, securing a second-place finish behind Verstappen.
- He joined the Mercedes Young Driver program in 2017.
- He earned the nickname “Mr. Saturday” after finishing 11th in the Styrian Grand Prix qualifying round.