Roger Federer saying goodbye to tennis wasn’t just an emotional moment for tennis fans but for sports fanatics all over the world. The who’s who of the world thronged to the arena to watch the 20-time grand slam winner in action for the last time in the Laver Cup. Among them was F1 sensation George Russell. What is even more fascinating is that the Mercedes ace got to meet Roger after the game where he promised to attend a Grand Prix sometime in the future. The Swiss legend kept his part of the promise when he attended the Miami GP on Sunday. Russell made it worth his while with a special experience that would make many jealous.
Roger wasn’t the only tennis royalty that made their way to Miami to watch their favorite drivers zoom by. 23 singles grand slam winner Serena Williams was there to cheer for her friend Lewis Hamilton. So was her rival of the yesteryear Maria Sharapova, who too, like Federer, got access to the Mercedes garage.
George Russell treats Roger Federer to special treatment for keeping his promise
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Access to paddocks and teams’ garages, especially during a race weekend, is a special privilege to have. Only through invitations can one make it there. Well, if the great Roger Federer isn’t special, then we who is. Roger was George’s guest and got to hang out with the entire crew.
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Also, he sat in George’s car and got to experience what the cockpit of the W14 feels like. Going by the pictures he uploaded on Instagram, one could tell by his boyish smile how much he was enjoying it. Thanking team Mercedes and their junior driver in the captions, Federer wrote, “An unforgettable experience with @mercedesamgf1 Thanks for lending me your car @georgerussell63 🙌🏼🏎️🔥”
As much fun as Federer had the entire day, one particular incident put a dampener on everything. It involved 83-year-old 3-time F1 champion Sir Jackie Stewart and Roger’s security.
How Federer made it up to Sir Jackie Stewart for the misbehavior he suffered at the hands of his security
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Another special privilege Roger had was access to the grid before the race started. Also present there was Jackie who is perhaps a big Federer fan. As he saw him on the track, he tried to approach him but was turned away by Roger’s security. The cameras picked it up and some fans got upset over the incident.
Going by the pictures Federer uploaded, it turned out that he did actually meet Stewart. The duo posed for a picture together, all smiles, enjoying each other’s company. Hope that the controversy will end after fans see the photo of them together.
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It’s great to see legends of different sports holding mutual respect for each other. Let us hope the Miami GP is the first of many F1 races Roger will attend in the future.