“Those Guys Are Pros” – Mercedes F1 Star George Russell Defends NASCAR From “Supermarket” Criticism

George Russell is among the newer generation of F1 drivers and he is on his way to the stars. Driving for Mercedes, he is one of the most charming drivers on the paddock, and as a result, a delight for interviews and talk shows.

A recent episode of the Throwing Fits podcast featured their very first F1 driver, none other than George Russell himself.

The discussion revolved around several topics, from the pressures of F1 to dissecting the fashion styles of the drivers. At one point, though, the talk turned to NASCAR and whether Russell would ever try it without prep and warm-up.

“Those guys are pros . . . I feel like driving, it’s one of these things that the majority of people drive a car. So, it’s kind of relatable, in a way. But nobody really drives a car fast,” said Russell thoughtfully.

When it comes to the motorsports universe, Formula 1 racing is considered to be the fastest, most adrenaline-inducing, with higher stakes than NASCAR. Hence, the layman assumes that an F1 driver might easily master NASCAR racing. But George Russell soon put those ideas to bed:

“Everyone thinks that ‘Oh, I drove a car to the supermarket, driving is easy, you know, I can do that’ whereas if you play football, you can watch a footballer or a soccer player and you can play soccer but you can’t do what Ronaldo does. But you never really have that with racing. So, I don’t know how looking forward, how we can make people appreciate the challenges, even not the physical demands, but for sure NASCAR, those guys are pros at what they do.”

READ MORE: George Russell Reveals the Special Moment He Left Lewis Hamilton & Co. Flabbergasted: “Head in Their Hands”

Astonished at such heartfelt words, the host cheekily asked Russell if the F1 drivers indeed respected NASCAR drivers. In response, the 24-year-old driver gave a tongue-in-cheek answer: “George Russell respects NASCAR drivers.”

George Russell speaks of the circuits Mercedes may win

Whether NASCAR is in the cards or not, George Russell is definitely looking down the barrel at a challenging weekend. This weekend sports the Singapore Grand Prix on one of the toughest circuits.

The Mercedes driver seems wary of the Marina Bay track as he confesses his thoughts on the upcoming GP:

“Singapore could be interesting, but historically it’s a circuit where Mercedes have struggled a little bit and we know at street circuits this year we haven’t fared so well.”

Mercedes has gone without a single Grand Prix win this season. Speaking on which circuit might be favorable for a victory for Mercedes, Russell said, “I’d probably say maybe Austin. I think Austin could be a circuit that suits us better, but I truly don’t know.”

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Hopefully, we will see a Mercedes car cross the checkered flag first very soon in 2022.