Having joined Mercedes at the onset of the ground effect regulations in 2022, George Russell has been quite ambitious to seek glory in F1. However, the Silver Arrows’ struggles to provide him with a competitive car has often handicapped the Briton’s performance, despite being at the peak of his powers.
After outperforming Lewis Hamilton for two out of their three seasons together, Russell was expecting 2025 to be his big breakthrough season. Even though Mercedes’ struggles have reduced this year, they are still not the fastest side on the grid.
So, Russell has had to show his prowess in what has been the second-fastest package so far. Still, it’s quite commendable to see the #63 driver consistently finish in the top five of every competitive session — the only driver to hold this stat this season.
Russell’s upward trajectory in performances and how to deal with setbacks can be traced back to the Roger Federer mantra he has been following. While speaking to The Athletic’s Luke Smith he claimed that he got inspired by Federer’s Dartmouth commencement address.
The Swiss tennis legend explained how he had only won 54% of the points in the matches he turned into victories — an example of how to deal with failures and stop disappointments from snowballing.
“If you break it down and understand that it’s just sport, that will help you be at a higher level. Just accepting the fact that nobody wins 100% of the time in anything,” Russell said. “So, you’ve got to prepare yourself for those failures, but know how you’re going to deal with them.”
Great to catch up with @rogerfederer after the final game of his incredible career. Not just one of the greatest athletes of all time, one of the nicest guys you could ever meet too. Same goes for @andy_murray – seriously funny guy! #LaverCup pic.twitter.com/9QGZxYsRAq
— George Russell (@GeorgeRussell63) September 24, 2022
Federer is not the only tennis ace who has inspired the British driver, though. He also praised Novak Djokovic for showing an elite mentality amidst adversity, “You see it with the mentality and the drive and the dedication,” Russell said praising the Serbian’s longevity at the top.
Having interacted with Djokovic during last year’s Wimbledon Championships, be it in a casual chat alongside his girlfriend Carmen Mundt, the Mercedes driver must’ve sought some sporting advice from the 24-time Grand Slam winner.
“The biggest advice he gave me is that he’s been putting in all the work when he was through his twenties, which is what’s allowing him to continue today,” Russell added. “When he was in his twenties, things were quite straightforward and recovery was good, and he felt that he was doing above and beyond. But he said it’s paying dividends for him 10 years down the line.”
“That’s really sunk in with me because I want to be here 10 to 15 [more] years at least. Today, if I skip a day of training, it won’t affect me. If I got a bit worse night’s sleep, it wouldn’t really affect me. But maybe it will affect me in 10 years’ time.”
While Russell has been following the wisdom given by the athletes who have gone on to claim the greatest of all-time tag, he has also been keeping a psychologist with him for over five years. Something very rare in a sport like F1 which has recently started to talk about the importance of mental health.
Right now, drivers usually keep a fitness trainer with them for their physical well-being while mental well-being has always been on the back burner. But the Mercedes driver believes that the benefits of it are so apparent that having a psychologist for drivers will soon be a norm.
