George Russell admits being DISTRACTED before F1 mishap

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Russell admits being DISTRACTED before F1 mishap

The Mercedes driver has revealed the truth behind one lapse in concentration

Tyler Rowlinson

Monday 4 December 2023 19:57

George Russell has admitted to being distracted by a spectator in the stands at a race last season, leading to a hilarious mishap.

A video that went viral in October showed Mercedes driver Russell turning sharply behind him and seemingly looking directly at the camera during the driver parade ahead of the United States Grand Prix in Austin.

However, he has now revealed that he was waving toward the grandstands before realising he had missed a part of the track he had intended to inspect.

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While reviewing his memes from the 2023 season on the official Mercedes YouTube channel, he spoke about the viral video and the truth behind it.

George Russell admitted to being distracted by a spectator ahead of the United States Grand Prix

George Russell was promoted to fifth in the race after Lewis Hamilton's disqualification

Missed chance

"So the truth behind this video is that, so this is one of the corners in Austin and it was a really bumpy corner," Russell said.

"The track was sort of breaking up and I really wanted to have a look at it that morning before the race.

"Then in the stands I saw somebody with a George Russell flag and I thought you know, I've got to give these people a wave.

"So I gave them a wave, I've got through the corner, I'm thinking sugar, I missed looking at the track so I've looked quick to see if I could catch it and I missed it."

The race in Austin was a relatively disappointing event for Russell, who lost a number of places at the start and ended up finishing in seventh.

However, he was promoted to fifth following the disqualification of team-mate Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.

The Brit finished eighth in the drivers' championship in 2023, claiming two podiums in Spain and Abu Dhabi.

so the reason why he turned like that was bc he forgot to look at that one specific part of the track 😭😭😭 https://t.co/ZbiHVNvntB pic.twitter.com/qS2WUPgJXj
— sin ⁴⁴ (@44britcedes) December 3, 2023