The 2023 F1 season is on an unusually long four-week break after the Australian GP. Mercedes driver George Russell has welcomed the break from racing as it allows his team to improve the car ahead of the upcoming race in Baku.
In the meantime, F1 drivers are enjoying the break and some of them were spotted at the 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters. Russell also went to a game of Novak Djokovic along with his girlfriend Carmen Mundt.
The Briton was spotted having a chat with the 22 Grand Slam-winning ace after his match. He congratulated the Serb on winning his draw and the duo spoke highly about each other.
George Russell talks about interaction with Novak Djokovic
George Russell admires Novak Djokovic who is an accomplished tennis icon. The Mercedes driver asked him about his match against Ivan Gakhov in the round of 32. The Serb won the match comfortably beating his Russian 7-6 6-2.
However, Djokovic claimed there was still a lot of room for improvement. The pair had a chat about the challenges in their demanding tournament schedules. “We were just having chats about how we deal with the travel,” Russell told in the ‘The Fast And The Curious’ podcast.
When in Monaco 🏎️@DjokerNole and @GeorgeRussell63 meet after Djokovic’s win 🙌@ROLEXMCMASTERS | #RolexMonteCarloMasters pic.twitter.com/DAhwgxJ7Lh
— ATP Tour (@atptour) April 11, 2023
Russell told the Serbian tennis star he was supposed to be racing in China. The Briton stressed that the hectic part of the season will begin with the race in Baku.
Nevertheless, the Mercedes driver was rather shocked to know about the rigorous schedules of Tennis players. He stated, “Many players had left the following days after the Monte Carlo Masters to Barcelona for the ATP500. So these guys are on the road just as much as we are.”
Russell was impressed by the demanding schedule of Tennis players
The 2023 F1 calendar will feature a mammoth 23-race schedule. The sport will travel to 19 countries over 9 months, which has generated a lot of flak from critics. However, George Russell claims tennis players have an equally tight season as F1 drivers.
The Mercedes driver was impressed to see how athletes from different sports cope with their respective challenges. He described it, “I think it’s always good to talk with these people in different sports. We all live challenging lifestyles when we are trying to operate at the highest levels.”
Pleasure to meet you, George. Good luck in Baku. 💪🏼 https://t.co/uByiqeoGA9
— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) April 11, 2023
Djokovic even told the Mercedes driver that he had to wait for a couple of hours before his match began which Russell was unaware of. He added, “For us F1 drivers, we race at 3 o’clock on a Sunday, 9 times out of 10. In Tennis, especially in the early rounds, you might wait for 2-3 hours longer than you expected.”
Russell will be heading to Baku and later to Miami in F1’s first doubleheader of the season. The 25-year-old received a good luck note from Djokovic ahead of his next race.
