The 2022 FIFA World Cup final will live long in the memory of fans for being one of the greatest games of football ever played. Argentina and France went neck to neck for 90 minutes and could only be separated by a penalty shootout. Like millions (and possibly billions) of people around the globe, Mercedes’ F1 superstar George Russell was also nervous during those tense final moments.
Seven-time Ballon D’Or winner Lionel Messi opened the scoring with a penalty before compatriot Angel Di Maria doubled their advantage. However, a Kylian Mbappe brace brought the 2018 Champions back into contention as the game headed into extra time. Messi found the net again and almost everyone thought that the result was sealed, but Mbappe rose to the occasion once again with yet another goal.
It was 3-3 after extra time, and as the match headed into a penalty showdown, the entire world held its breath. Russell was extremely anxious during the shootout as we can see in a video shared by his girlfriend, Carmen Montero. The former Williams driver was heard saying, “I never ever get this nervous racing.”
As Gonzalo Montiel scored the fourth penalty to seal Argentina’s third-ever World Cup triumph, Russell too seemed to be relieved. It’s safe to assume that the 24-year-old was backing Messi and Argentina to win.
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George Russell hungry for better performances in 2023
The 2022 season was a breakout campaign for Russell, because he was in a competitive car for the first time in his F1 career. Mercedes were not the dominant force they had been for the previous eight years, but they were still fighting for podiums consistently.
Russell was one of the most consistent drivers on the grid. He even became a race winner for the first time, something his legendary teammate Lewis Hamilton could not achieve in 2023. He finished fourth in the standings, and it was also a better finish than Hamilton’s. However, the Brit isn’t proud of it and wants to achieve bigger feats in the coming season.
“I’m not going to walk away from this season with huge amounts of pride,” Russell said to BBC. “Because I finished fourth in the championship. We still need to keep raising the bar.”
