“They Got Removed”: George Russell Discloses Strict F1 WhatsApp Group Rules Shared by the “Grid Gang”

In today’s world, it is hard to imagine a person who doesn’t use the popular messaging application WhatsApp. From a commoner to multi-billionaires, from celebrities to non-entities, WhatsApp is an application known and used by all. Interestingly, with over 2.24 billion monthly user base, WhatsApp also found its way into the F1 drivers! Named “grid gang” all the current F1 drivers share a common WhatsApp group where they share their thoughts on a day-to-day basis and talk about the hot topic of the paddock. However, it’s not that simple, as it contains a “ruthless” rule that leaves nobody out.

George Russell, the director of the GPDA, or the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, recently opened up on it during The Fast and The Curious Podcast which is available on Apple podcasts. He said, “There is a WhatsApp group. It’s called the grid gang. I think it’d have been quite boring, like F1 drivers’ group chat, but yeah, there’s a WhatsApp group.”

“It’s not like we send banter in there day after day, but there are occasions where something may have happened on the track and suddenly people are sending memes and whatever and I guess they’re out of control,” the Mercedes driver further stated. When asked if the drivers remain in the group even if they lose their seat, the former Williams driver said, “They get removed and it is pretty ruthless, to be honest.”

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It’s hard to imagine how it feels to be left out of the group after spending seasons on it. If we take two examples, Nicholas Latifi and Sebastian Vettel are probably two drivers who were sent out of the group at the end of the 2022 F1 season.

Charles Leclerc and Valtteri Bottas reveal more about the WhatsApp chat

Earlier, Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc and former Mercedes star Valtteri Bottas also shared some insights on the WhatsApp group the drivers use often. They revealed that the drivers use the group both for important discussions as well as light-hearted banters.

On this, Leclerc stated in a report published by WTF1, “Sometimes, when we are not happy with a decision or something like that, we put it on the group chat and talk about it together.”

“We’ve got a group chat which is actually an official thing for safety things and stuff like that. Sometimes there are some jokers, that’s part of it. But I think every driver is on very good terms and we have good respect,” Bottas told to NOS.

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All in all, it is believed that the drivers share thoughts and updates on the group just like any other colleagues from different organizations. Why not when all they care about is the sport and fun? Isn’t it?