George Russell has opened up on his first F1 experience with Mercedes, having made his initial debut with the squad nine years ago.
Russell signed to the Mercedes junior programme in the winter break ahead of the 2017 F1 campaign, and later that year, he was handed his first outing behind the wheel of what would be the championship-winning W08.
The experience came at a mid-season test at the Hungaroring, just a handful of days after the Hungarian Grand Prix, and also saw the debut of Lando Norris at McLaren.
Much intrigue surrounded the test, largely due to the comeback of Robert Kubica, who took part in an official F1 session for the first time since his rally crash that put a dent in his F1 career.
Speaking exclusively to RacingNews365 about his experience that day, Russell said: “I remember just being totally shocked by the speed of the car.
“It was a very hot day, I remember, I think it was almost 40 degrees. At the end of the test, my eyes were bloodshot because of the G-Force.
“Two days in a row, as your first official test in F1 at the Hungaroring in the 2017 car, which was exceptionally quick, it was a tough entry.
“I also remember Kubica was doing the test with Renault. So that was also a privilege for me, to do the tests alongside drivers who I looked up to when I was younger.”
Russell joined the grid as a full-time driver one-and-a-half years after his first Mercedes test, signing with Williams where he would race for three years.
Since joining Mercedes in 2022, Russell has won seven grands prix, including two this year as he contends for a maiden F1 title.
Offering a message to the younger version of himself who made his Mercedes debut almost a decade ago, Russell said: “Enjoy every moment because it goes fast.
“I remember that day like yesterday. I remember my first lap out of the pits, when I first hit the brakes into Turn 1, my head almost hit the steering wheel.
“I remember eating mashed potato and watermelon for lunch! But just enjoy every moment because it passes by quick.”
Also interesting:
Join RacingNews365's Nick Golding and Samuel Coop as they look back on last weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix. Mercedes being comfortably beatable is a major talking point, as is whether Lando Norris has the capability of completing a title fight comeback.
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