George Russell has recounted a family trip to northeastern Sweden, recalling a hilarious moment of driving on frozen lakes with his family. The Mercedes driver revealed that his sister, Cara, was ‘lapping faster than my dad’, despite having no racing background.
The 27-year-old explained the story during an interview with The Times, in which he delved into his car collection and the vehicles he has owned throughout the years. Russell enjoys road trips and driving excursions during his downtime from F1, and one of his favourite trips was an outing in Sweden with his family.
“We’ll remember it forever,” Russell said, looking back at the tale. “Mainly because my sister, Cara, who has zero racing experience, was lapping faster than my dad, who has spent his entire life telling me how to drive!”
Like most young adults in the UK, Russell’s first taste of motoring life came in the form of a hatchback. After gaining a taste for four wheels as a child on his quad bike, the future Mercedes F1 star inherited a Volkswagen Polo as his first car in 2015.
“It was the slowest car I’ve ever driven in my life,” Russell complained, looking back at the vehicle that he shared with his mother. “It only had 60bhp. Every hill had to be taken flat out in second gear!”
With a stellar junior career ahead of him, Russell was picked up by Mercedes’ young driver programme, and the Norfolk-born racer was soon rewarded with a Mercedes-Benz A200. The Brit then progressed into the world of supercars, acquiring a Mercedes-AMG GT C.
“Somehow I managed to get my road bike in the boot,” Russell explained. “I loved it even more than the GT R that replaced it. The GT R was really aggressive in black with black wheels, and racing seats that were terribly uncomfortable.
“I had to take a cushion from my mum’s living room to improve it. So there I was, in this bad-boy GT R, with one of my mum’s tartan throw cushions behind my back.”
Now a five-time Grand Prix winner and Mercedes team leader for the long term after signing a multi-year contract extension, Russell can effectively afford whatever supercar takes his fancy. And yet, he remains loyal to the Silver Arrows, championing their road offerings in his downtime away from the track.
“I’m sure one day [I’ll own another manufacturer’s cars], he confessed. “But I’m loyal to the brand. If one day I have 20 cars, at least six will be Mercedes. I hope to complete that collection over the next six or seven years.”