George Russell reveals the part of F1 that 'really really HURTS'

Russell in de garage op Silverstone — Photo: © LAT Images

George Russell

Russell reveals the part of F1 that 'really really HURTS'

He's left feeling "absolutely knackered" by race weekends

Janice Kusters

Tuesday 22 August 2023 09:12

George Russell has admitted that he often 'feels knackered' before a race has even begun.

In a recently released episode of Beyond All Limits, George Russell offered a glimpse into the exhausting nature of race weekends.

Luke Bennett, the Medical and Sports Performance Director at Hintsa Performance, confirmed that this feeling is not uncommon, as Formula 1 drivers face a multitude of stress factors including physical challenges, extensive travel, the emotional strain of championship battles, and ongoing career uncertainty.

The main source of exhaustion for Russell is the demanding routines that define a race weekend.

“You feel like you're always on during a race weekend. Taking photos and signing autographs, meeting with your engineers, seeing the sponsors, trying to do absolutely everything, and I get the car on the grid and I'm... I'm knackered - and I've not even started yet,” he shared.

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“The victories and the successes, they're a much greater peak, but the duration is far shorter than a failure, a mistake. You feel like you've let the team down, you've let your family down, your supporters, and yourself down, that really really hurts, it stays with you."

“You need to know, how to consume that energy, I'm definitely working more and more on the mental side of things.”

Lando Norris and Alex Albon also suffer from mental exhaustion

Russell's story is far from singular. Lando Norris, in particular, has been candid about his battles with mental health.

“It can be a very cruel world, people are struggling with mental health and so on - and something I really struggled a lot with, in 2019.

"I really wasn't enjoying a lot of the time that I was spending in a race car," Norris later added, "A lot of people see Formula 1 drivers as living a perfect life, anyone can struggle no matter what position they're in."

Alex Albon, who experienced his share of ups and downs, especially during his stint with Red Bull, confessed, “I've gone through some rough patches," he said.

“Especially to do with my year in 2020. You're getting hammered by the press all the time about why you're not performing, and questions, constant questions, every weekend, you can't escape it.”

“The noise was such a big shock to me, in karting to Formula 2, no one would ever speak negatively about you, for what reason would they – and then, you got into Formula 1, and everyone has an opinion because you're in the spotlight. I did care what people thought, and I did read it on Twitter a little bit. A little bit too much.”

Albon faced highs and lows during his time at Red Bull

Former Formula 1 racer and present-day F1 journalist Martin Brundle believes F1 is a much more cruel place now than it ever has been.

“Today Formula 1 is a really intense place to operate as a driver, there will be a camera watching you from every angle, everything you do, every tweak of a muscle, every turn of the wheel, that pressure is intense.”