Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were among the earliest arrivals for the Belgian GP. The Mercedes duo flew in for the Grand Prix weekend on Wednesday, one day prior to the media day. Staying true to their status in F1, Hamilton and Russell took a ride together in an Embraer E190 Lineage 1000 private jet, as per F1 photojournalist Kym Illman. However, they were not alone on the flight.
Deboarding the $52.5 million aircraft first was Mercedes F1 team’s photographer Sebastian Kawka. Following the German was Russell’s press officer Charlotte Davies.
The last to step out before the Mercedes drivers was Hamilton’s manager Marc Hynes. Hynes is a former racer who won the British F3 championship in 1999, beating Jenson Button.
Making dreams come true ❤️ In Belgium, we welcomed two huge @LewisHamilton fans to the paddock for a very special meet and greet with their hero pic.twitter.com/HSIvcTQadU
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) August 1, 2024
Flying in from Stuttgart, Germany, the aircraft landed at the General Aviation Terminal, which is the private segment of the airport. Owing to the exclusivity, the team had private cars lined up on the tarmac to receive them.
Surprisingly, despite being early to the party, Russell and Hamilton were not the first to be there. The Mercedes teammates were beaten by Esteban Ocon, who stayed back for 45 minutes to meet the fans waiting for him at the airport.
Who did Max Verstappen arrive with?
Barring Hamilton, Russell, and Ocon, every driver arrived on Thursday. Among those, and the last to touch down on the tarmac was Max Verstappen. The only driver on the current F1 grid to own a private jet, Verstappen arrived in his bespoke Dassault Falcon 900EX, sporting the iconic ‘Dutch Lion’ on the aircraft’s tail fin.
The Dutchman bought the $15 million jet from Richard Branson and made some changes to suit his character. Among those is setting up a sim racing rig.
Known for his love for the sport, Verstappen regularly participates in online racing tournaments from wherever he can. Those locations include the comforts of his home and also the hotels he stays at during a Grand Prix weekend.
Flying in from Nice, France, the reigning champion had a short 80-minute flight. He landed at the airport and headed out with his father Jos Verstappen who was there to support his son for the race.
