George Russell answers frequently asked questions

      The Mercedes press service published an interview with George Russell, in which the British driver answers the most frequently asked questions about himself and Formula 1 online. In particular, George talked about the origin of his now-famous victory "T-pose."

      Question: Does George Russell have any brothers or sisters? George Russell: I have a brother, Benji, and a sister, Cara. They both played sports when they were younger. My brother even became a world champion in karting, and he constantly reminds me that I don't have such a title. He loves to joke about it, and I don't particularly like it.

      Question: Has George Russell ever been stuck in traffic? George Russell: Actually, we sometimes have full-on traffic jams during qualifying. As for road congestion, of course, I've been stuck in them. For example, last year I got stuck in traffic on my way to the base in Brackley. In the end, I decided to walk because it was faster.

      Question: Does George Russell name his cars? George Russell: I don't. I know Sebastian Vettel used to do that, but maybe I should give it a try. Send in your suggestions for a name for this year's car!

      Question: Does George Russell eat junk food? George Russell: I like to treat myself to something tasty sometimes, but not often. Maybe once a month. I enjoy a big juicy burger and pizza. Those are my two favorite dishes that I allow myself occasionally.

      Question: Why is George Russell called "Mr. Saturday"? George Russell: I don't know who came up with that. The nickname stuck to me when I was racing for Williams and achieving very good results in qualifying. Now I'm trying to make it so that I'm called "Mr. Sunday" or "Mr. Weekend" more often. But I have nothing against "Mr. Saturday."

      Question: Why does George Russell use the number 63? George Russell: That was my brother's number in karting. For some reason, the kart with number 63 was given to a guy who was faster than him, and that guy turned out to be me. Since then, 63 has become our family number.

      Question: Why does George Russell take the "T-pose"? George Russell: The infamous "T-pose"... It appeared in 2023 in the Formula 1 intro. It was completely unintentional. It all happened out of boredom and fatigue.

      It was already 11:30 PM, we had a long photo shoot, and I just leaned my hands against the opposite walls while waiting for the next shot. The producer noticed it and said, "Looks cool!" Before I knew it, this "T-pose" appeared. So we need to find out who the director was that day and thank him.

      Question: Is it allowed to drive a Formula 1 car on public roads? George Russell: Well, I don't think so. Although they are the safest cars, it is prohibited to drive them on public roads. And some potholes they simply can't overcome. Last year, the ground clearance was 12 millimeters. Try driving with that on a regular road.

      Question: Can Formula 1 drivers wear glasses? George Russell: Honestly, I don't know. I assume so. I think Charles Leclerc wears glasses, but definitely not during races. Maybe he uses contact lenses. I know some rally drivers wear glasses, so I assume it's possible in Formula 1 too, but I'm not entirely sure.

      Question: Can you perform a three-point turn in a Formula 1 car? George Russell: I think you can do a three-point turn in any car. When a Formula 1 driver goes off the track, instead of making a turn like in Austin Powers movies, we just hit the gas pedal and spin the back of the car around its axis. A quick "donut" to get back on track faster.