The “sickening” moments pushing Russell not to stay silent over F1 safety

Halfway through his seventh season in Formula 1, George Russell has become a stalwart of Mercedes as Lewis Hamilton’s heir, but the 27-year-old has also firmly established himself off the track. Russell has become one of the most outspoken drivers on the grid, never shunning tough questions on the bigger picture, whether the focus is on safety or the direction the championship’s governing body the FIA is taking.

Russell joined the F1 drivers’ association GPDA entering his third season in 2021, when he was still driving for Williams. At the time the Briton replaced outgoing Romain Grosjean, and after Sebastian Vettel’s retirement the following year Russell was the only active driver in the association until Williams man Carlos Sainz joined him earlier this year. Russell and Sainz work alongside chairman and former F1 driver Alexander Wurz, as well as legal representative Anastasia Fowle.

The GPDA has played a crucial role in campaigning for safety over the years, including a big push behind the halo cockpit protection device that initially faced plenty of criticism from teams and fans.

Speaking to Autosport, Russell has explained why his role at the GPDA to advance safety is so close to his heart, and how several horrific accidents have crystallised his desire to leave motorsport in a better place than he found it.

“I’m not chasing to leave any legacy. That’s never been the intention. It’s just that if I see an opportunity to improve something, I want to speak about it, especially if it comes to track safety or car safety,” Russell explained. “In 2012 I was team-mates with Billy Monger [who lost his legs in a British F4 crash in 2017] and had a close relationship with him. Seeing that crash live, and then watching Anthoine [Hubert]’s crash [at Spa 2019 in F2], I was watching that live. It was sickening to watch.

“When you experience things like this with people who you know so well, and you believe you have ideas that can help improve the safety or prevent that from happening, then you naturally want to share it.

“Again, Romain Grosjean’s crash [in Bahrain 2020], I saw that. He was in front of me and I passed him, and I still see the image in my head now. I looked in my mirror, and all I could see was flames. It took over my whole mirror.

“That could have happened to anyone. It could have happened to the greatest driver in the world. That’s just the danger we face. So, I think that’s probably why I wanted to be more involved than not.”

Since first joining the GPDA aged 23, Russell says the current crop of drivers has become more unified as F1 has seen significant growth and change in the Drive to Survive era.

“As a group we are probably closer and more united than ever,” he added. “At least during my seven years of F1 It really feels like we’ve grown closer and share a similar view upon things and obviously, so much has changed.

“Everything that’s happened to the sport commercially, with the likes of Netflix and being exposed to so much more as athletes and individuals, so much has changed on the sporting and technical side, the changes in ’22 and the problems we all faced in ’22 with porpoising. It’s given the drivers topics of conversation that we want to sort of tackle together.”

“We don’t want to fight against the FIA”

Russell has been critical in the past of what the drivers felt was FIA president Mohamed Ben Sulayem’s lack of transparency and dialogue, with the GPDA penning an open letter last November urging the FIA leader to “treat them like adults” amid a draconic swearing ban, which the governing body has since watered down.

In response to the drivers’ letter Ben Sulayem said how he runs the FIA was “none of their business”, which prompted calls from Hamilton to look into having an actual “power seat” at the table, as is the case in other global sports and series.

George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President, FIA

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

Speaking on his own behalf, Russell said it is key for the drivers, F1 and FIA to work together harmoniously, however it manages to get there. “I know different sports have different set-ups, and ultimately, at least from my personal standpoint – not one of GPDA – you just want to collectively work with those around you to get the best for everyone,” he said.

“We don’t want to fight against the FIA. We don’t want to fight against F1, you want to work together with them, to get the most for them as a sport, the most for them as a regulatory body, and then the most for us as drivers. You want to rise together and fall together. How do you achieve that? That’s another thing.

“It’s been very refreshing having Rui Marques on board as race director. I feel he and [FIA sporting director] Tim Malyon have been exceptionally receptive. They listen and they react, and I think collectively, we’re all substantially happier now with where we are.”

Russell’s willingness to voice his opinions has also seen him catch plenty of criticism, much like McLaren driver Lando Norris’ openness about mental health which has been used as ammunition to snipe him with.

“Yeah, for sure,” he nodded, before carefully considering his answer. “The only way you could keep everybody happy or by having no negativity towards you, is by saying nothing, because everybody will forever have a view. Everybody will share it.

“You get to a point where you don’t even look at it or read it, because everyone’s got a different opinion. Everyone’s open to their view. But it’s not something that really concerns me at all, to be honest. I don’t look, so it doesn’t bother me.”