Mercedes F1 driver George Russell poses with the iconic Mercedes-Benz W201 190E Cosworth in a recent photoshoot.
Mercedes F1 racer George Russell didn’t have to wait for a while to make an impression in front of F1 fans. The Briton joined Mercedes and was paired alongside 7-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton.
Fans were sceptical about the rookie’s performance with the 8-time Constructops championship winners. But Russell was quick to prove everyone wrong.
Russell is 4th in the Drivers standings after 17 rounds of the 2022 season. He has claimed 7 podiums and is well ahead of his teammate Hamilton. This means for the first time since 2016, Hamilton will be beaten by his teammate.
Russell has finished 5th and above in every race he has raced, barring the 2022 British GP. The Briton’s racing career is flourishing, but seems like he has more than one interest.
Russell tried his hand at modelling for the clothing brand Belstaff. Belstaff is the official off-track outfitter for the Mercedes F1 team.
The 24-year-old British driver is next to the iconic Mercedes-Benz W201 190E Cosworth in the photo shoot. A champion for Mercedes from its bygone Rallying era.
Russell is touted as Hamilton’s successor at Mercedes and a future World Champion in the making. And what better way to welcome than standing next to a champion from an era in the past!
George Russell poses with Mercedes 190E
George Russell’s fans were thrilled when he posted the latest picture from his collaboration with Belstaff. But the legacy of this iconic car is a story to tell.
In 1984, a 24-year-old Ayrton Senna would go on to win the Nurburgring Race of Champions in a 190E 2.3-16. He would win the race ahead of the likes of Niki Lauda, James Hunt and his arch-rival Alain Prost.
Senna would join the F1 grid that year and later claim 3 titles and create an unmatched legacy in the sport. This car broke Porsche’s record at the Nardo speed ring by covering 50,000km in 200 hours!
Mercedes planned to compete in rallying with the 190E in the late 1970s. They spent close to $600 Million in researching and developing the perfect cars for it.
This led to the creation of the Mercedes-Benz W201. To help them create an engine for it, they sought the expertise of the British engineering firm Cosworth.
The 320-hp cars weren’t allowed in Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (DTM). Thus, Mercedes created a new series with the detuned version of the Cosworth engine, the 190E 2.3-16V.
This was launched at the 1983 Frankfurt Auto show. The car could hit a top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph).
This car’s success in rallying and DTM increased Mercedes’ rivals BMW and Audi to do better. they were resulting in the BMW M3 and Audi’s Quattro engineering.
The car is an extremely rare collectable. And needless to say, not many models are available out there. A previous model was last sold in a private auction for $250,000.
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