George Russell has conceded that he has not yet adjusted to life as a well-known Formula 1 driver. The Briton's stock has risen since his long-awaited promotion to the Mercedes team in 2022, after comparing well against teammate Lewis Hamilton. Joining F1 as a Mercedes development driver, Russell was placed at Williams, where he raced for three seasons. Following consistently strong performances, the 24-year-old was given a chance at Mercedes, replacing Valtteri Bottas. Russell has five podium finishes to his name in 2022 so far, and secured his first F1 pole position at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Russell's experiences with fame so far
Following an impressive start to his first season at Mercedes, Russell was asked if he had adjusted to being a famous F1 driver. "I don't know, I still feel like a normal person," Russell said on the Beyond The Grid podcast. "If somebody asked me, 'Are you famous?', I'd say, 'Not really, no', but then if I asked somebody else, or if I asked my friends if they thought I was famous, they'd probably say yes. "It's unique, and it's different being recognised on the street, and people stopping at restaurants, especially around F1 weekends – it's incredible to see the support. "But, I'm 24 years old, I try and live as normal life as I can, relatively speaking, bearing in mind that the sport I do is incredible and I feel so grateful and privileged to be in this position. "You're flying around the world, driving a Formula 1 car in front of hundreds of thousands of fans. I guess it's pretty spectacular."
Russell: I've had no weird gifts yet!
With F1 drivers often having their own dedicated fans, Russell was then asked if he had received any unique gifts. "I've had people asking me to sign body parts or weird things, and I've had a few random gifts along the way," he commented. "There are no standout ones that have been, 'Wow, that's a little bit strange', but it's great, and I really appreciate it. "I had a book sent to me recently from loads of fans, I had loads of notes and letters in there, and to be honest, I go through all of it, because at the end of the day, without the fans, the sport is nothing. "My mum loves these things as well. I don't have space in my flat to keep it all, so they go to my family home, and my mum is probably up all night reading everything."
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