Mercedes star reveals family ties led him to MAJOR F1 decision
George Russell has his family to thank for one major aspect of his F1 career
George Russell has revealed that he chose the number 63 for his Formula 1 car, due to his brother opting for the same digits back when he was go-karting as a kid.
F1 drivers make a career-long commitment to their car number, so a lot of thought rightly goes into the decision as to what exactly that should be.
There is only one way that a driver can change their number, but that involves the small task of winning a world title.
READ MORE: Horner shares emotional farewell including Vettel tribute amid tragic news
F1 rules state that a reigning champion can swap to No. 1 should they wish, something that Max Verstappen has now carried for two seasons as he goes in pursuit of his third world championship – temporarily ditching his usual No. 33.
Russell's family ties
And Russell, who has the No. 63 adorned on his car, has revealed that it was a family link that saw him opt for it in the first place.
“Well I am number 63 because that was the number my brother used to race with when he was in go karting,” he told Mercedes’ official YouTube channel.
“When he started, that was the number that was assigned to him and has been a family number ever since. So, [it’s] in the family!”
F1 drivers by number
1 Max Verstappen (Also 33)
2 Logan Sargeant
10 Pierre Gasly
11 Sergio Perez
18 Lance Stroll
21 Nyck de Vries
22 Yuki Tsunoda
23 Alex Albon
24 Zhou Guanyu
27 Nico Hulkenberg
31 Esteban Ocon
55 Carlos Sainz
63 George Russell
81 Oscar Piastri
READ MORE: Mercedes chief backs Russell to join Verstappen in HUGE F1 prediction
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