Russell Uses Lewis Hamilton’s Infamous Baku Incident to Reveal the Secret of Mercedes’ ‘Magic Button’

Formula 1’s viewership across the globe is one of the largest in terms of sports. However, there are many technical jargons that drivers and teams use which the fans do not understand. The complex nature of F1 is what makes it nail-biting and fans are glued towards the sport.

So, George Russell sits down with GQ Sports to answer the questions from fans and elaborate on what certain technical words mean by taking Lewis Hamilton as an example.

Russell had a troubled start in qualifying at Bahrain. However, he provided a solid result to aid Silver Arrows’ chances of winning another title. The young Brit has been with Mercedes from the age of 17 and will look to relish his opportunity and achieve his ambitions. He will look to challenge Lewis Hamilton and the rest for the World Championship on his first season with Mercedes.

George Russell explains what the term ‘magic’ in F1 means

Russell sat down with GQ Sports to answer questions about his career, his expectations, and many other things. A question from a fan on YouTube comments popped up. The fan asked Russell, what the term ‘cancel the magic’ and other technical words mean.

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George Russell revealed that the ‘magic’ is a button on the steering wheel of the car. And many teams use different terms for it. He said, “Magic is a little button we have on the steering wheel and you can program that button to do whatever you want. Every team has it. Some teams call it blue button, white button, whatever.”

He also elaborated on the term and cited Lewis Hamilton’s infamous incident in Baku as an example. The seven-time World Champion went straight off the track because of a brake issue. And Russell suggested Hamilton forgot to cancel the magic button and as a result, he struggled with the brakes. He added, “The famous one was with Lewis in Baku when his magic was set to have his break balance forward and he didn’t cancel the magic and locked up and went off.” 

The young British driver conveyed every car has one, including his. However, he did not want to reveal what his magic button does. He stated, “I’ve got the magic setup for something different. Won’ say what but yeah, it sounds a bit strategic for sure.”

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George Russell’s answers have given an insight to the fans on how an F1 driver operates. The Mercedes driver will look to continue on his solid start as Formula 1 moves to Saudi Arabia on March 27th. Mercedes have a fight on their hands and will look to come out on top again.