How $120,000 cash prize helped George Russell become Mercedes F1 driver

George Russell joined the Mercedes team at the beginning of 2022 and has not left any stone unturned with his exemplary performance.

A photo of George Russell is hugely popular among F1 enthusiasts. It is a picture of 11-year-old Russell hunting Lewis Hamilton, a one-time world champion at the time, with two books for an autograph in 2009.

It was Russell’s first encounter with the 7-time world champion, whom he described as his ‘superhero.’ Since then, the young Briton has come a long way. He now shares his garage with Hamilton as he joined the Mercedes F1 team at the beginning of the current season.

🗣 @GeorgeRussell63: “I was a young kid aspiring to reach Formula 1, and Lewis was World Champion at the time.

“Lewis was a superhero to me.”#F1 @LewisHamilton pic.twitter.com/X5EXPvxfVf

— Team George Russell (@TeamGR63) February 19, 2022

Russell has risen through the paddock and undoubtedly has a bright future ahead of him. Even though the W13 turned out to be a disappointing drive this season, the 24-year-old has extracted the maximum potential out of the car and impressed his boss Toto Wolff.

In the 16 rounds of racing this season, Russell has outperformed his superhero multiple times as Hamilton has struggled with his car. The young British driver has bagged 203 points this season and even won a pole position.

Like many other drivers, Russell now has a growing collection of expensive cars, bikes, outlandish watches and a big paycheck compared to his first-ever prize.

Nevertheless, the 24-year-old gives all the credit to that cash prize which helped him kickstart his career at the pinnacle of motorsport.

Also Read: George Russell predicts Max Verstappen masterclass at Monza ahead of 2022 Italian GP

“I wouldn’t be here today” – George Russell

Russell was only 16 when he claimed the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award. This award came with a cash prize of $120,000 and was the young Briton’s first ever big pay cheque.

In an interview with Sky Sports in 2020, Russell recalled that this money helped him fund his racing career until Mercedes picked him for their junior drivers’ programme. He said, “Essentially, without that [prize], I wouldn’t be here today.”

Russell has a salary of $5 Million at the Mercedes, excluding bonuses and other endorsements. While he is still a long way from many other drivers on the grid, it looks like it won’t be long until he receives an increase in his paycheck.

Also Read: 18-year-old George Russell claimed he was a fan of this 7 GP winning driver