For George Russell, there hasn’t been much to smile about heading into the US Grand Prix race on Sunday, but at least, he was part of a hilarious interaction with a fan at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin.
As the #63 driver was walking towards the paddock with his girlfriend Carmen Mundt, he encountered a Ferrari fan who was trying to congratulate him. He praised Russell for his performance in Sprint Qualifying, which saw him start the first race of the weekend alongside Max Verstappen on Sunday.
Russell, however, was in the mood for some banter. He thanked the fan but went on to say, “You’re wearing the wrong shirt!” suggesting that he should have been in Mercedes colors instead. The Ferrari fan, meanwhile, was ready to give one back to Russell.
As the 26-year-old walked away, the fan responded, “Just ask Lewis [Hamilton].”
Why was this a dig? Because Russell’s teammate Hamilton has completed a move to Ferrari for 2025, and the fan made it clear that he was backing the seven-time World Champion, who knew that it was the ‘right shirt’.
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As it turns out, the Mercedes drivers have made it a habit to engage with fans in friendly, light-hearted banter. Recently, Hamilton was seen playfully interacting with a fan at a promotional event in Malaysia.
A fan approached Hamilton at the Petronas Towers and requested him to sign his t-shirt. Noticing that the fan was wearing a plain white t-shirt, Hamilton decided to have some fun.
He could be heard saying, “You should’ve spent some money and gotten a team top.” Thankfully, the fan understood the joke and smiled back.
Back in Austin, however, bantering will take a backseat for Russell and Hamilton ahead of the Grand Prix. Hamilton will start from P18 after a disappointing qualifying performance. Meanwhile, his teammate will begin from the pit lane after his team changed his floor following the qualifying session on Saturday, which violated Parc Ferme rules.
