George Russell closely follows Max Verstappen’s Nürburgring exploits, he admitted ahead of the Miami GP. While the Dutch Red Bull driver enjoyed himself on the infamous Nordschleife during the spring break, the Brit had to settle for a Pirelli tire test on the Grand Prix layout of the German circuit. In the future, however, Russell hopes to follow in his rival’s footsteps.
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During a press moment in Miami, Russell was asked about Verstappen’s recent outings and his participation in the 24-hour race in mid-May. “Yes, I have watched Max on the Nordschleife,” he admitted. He also revealed that he is somewhat jealous that Verstappen can combine his F1 commitments with GT3 races. “I would without a doubt also like to race on the Nordschleife sometime,” he continued. “I have driven there before and also completed hundreds of simulator laps. But I don’t know when I will actually race there.”
Track record
Russell also revealed that, like Verstappen, he once wanted to break the track record on the Nordschleife with an F1 car. However, Mercedes saw the risks of such a record attempt and, just like Red Bull did with Verstappen, put a stop to it. “I once tried to convince Toto (Wolff, ed.) to make an attempt at the record with an F1 car,” he said. “But now I am focused on winning the world championship,” the Englishman assured. The track record for a production car is already held by Mercedes, which clocked a lap of 6:29.090 with the AMG One. The absolute record is held by the Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo.
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When Russell has won multiple titles, he hopes to broaden his horizons with outings in other racing classes. “If I have four world titles under my belt, I hope to also race on the Nordschleife,” he continued, “while also continuing to enjoy my F1 season.” Asked about a record attempt in an F1 car, he responded: “We need to find a way to set the car higher. Maybe it will happen someday,” he concluded with a wink.
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