In the latest development, George Russell has opposed Lewis Hamilton in the pre-race introductions in Miami GP. The 25-year-old Mercedes driver wasn’t fond of the American way of “doing things” and said it was not for him.
Admittedly, the drivers were made to attend the pre-race introduction event before the main race on Sunday. Russell, who put his ‘personal opinion’ in front of the media post-race, declared it to be “distracting.”
Mercedes driver George Russell about the pre-race introductions:
“It is distracting because, you know, we were on the grid for half an hour in all of our overalls in the sun. I don’t think there’s any other sports in the world that 30 minutes before you go out to do your…
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) May 8, 2023
As per ESPN, the young British driver had to complain about how they were made to go out 30 minutes before the race with their apparel on. They were all out in the sun, with cameras all around.
F1 being a sport that’s very much dependent on concentration, the 25-year-old naturally called it “distracting”. And as a result, the former Williams driver, who offered nothing but sympathy over their Miami performance, concluded, “Personally, [it’s] probably not for me..”
Lewis Hamilton has contrasting views with Russell
The seven-time world champion had the exact opposite view of his teammate Russell regarding the American show. The Mercedes maestro, in fact, loved the Americanisation of the sport.
Speaking to the media, the 38-year-old driver conveyed that if the F1 authority or the organization is trying new things to improve the show, he will fully support it, as per Motorsport.com on Instagram.
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Admittedly, Hamilton is huge in the United States. He is probably the most popular driver there, after homeboy Logan Sargeant. And this was evident by the huge roar in the crowd once their name was called in the introduction.
Fernando Alonso, Max Verstappen, and Co. also shared their take on the event
Apart from the Mercedes duo, Fernando Alonso, Max Verstappen, and Lando Norris also revealed their opinion on the introductory event. While the McLaren star had a neutral take, the Aston Martin ace and Red Bull star had different perspectives.
Norris stated that none of the drivers in the Paddock liked it. But at the end of the day, they don’t get to decide what’s coming or what’s going on in the sport at the end of the day. Furthermore, Verstappen revealed that he would like to talk to his engineer before the race.
However, Alonso had an interesting take on this. The Asturian added that if they are to do the introductory event in the US, they have to continue it everywhere, such as Italy, Spain, Mexico, or Japan.
