F1 Japanese Grand Prix: George Russell team member 'slept under' grandstand

George Russell, Mercedes, British GP, Britain, 2025 — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 Off the Track

George Russell team member 'slept under' Japanese Grand Prix grandstand

F1 isn't always glamorous

Matthew Hobkinson Lead Editor

F1 Editor & Journalist

Thursday 26 March 2026 13:43 Updated: 14:00

F1 might be the most glamorous sport in the world, but that doesn't always tell the whole story for those who work in it.

The pinnacle of motorsport attracts the biggest celebrities and richest people on the planet to sip champagne in the paddock. But the reality for those working in the sport is very different.

The drivers themselves, albeit on jaw-dropping salaries with eye-watering bonuses, sacrifice an incredible amount to get where they are and put in countless hours of hard work behind the scenes.

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But they have an incredible support system around them, helped by a lot of people who very few fans of the sport will have heard of before.

One of those people at Mercedes is Katsuhide Kuwahara (Katsu), George Russell's performance engineer.

Greatness from small beginnings

And although he might be trackside for this weekend's race, his first experience at Suzuka for the 2005 Japanese GP when he was just 16 was very different indeed.

"I didn't have much money to get accommodation like a hotel,” he told Mercedes' in-house media.

"So, I just went there on Saturday morning and just slept underneath the Turn 1 grandstand on cardboard and then spent the full night.

"You don't mind when you’re 16 and have unlimited energy. I wasn’t the only one who did it, so I didn’t mind!"

Fast forward to this weekend and Katsu will be back at Suzuka - this time as Russell's performance engineer - but his excitement hasn't wavered at all.

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A post shared by Team George Russell (@teamgeorgerussell)

"Obviously I am biased, but until I joined F1 I did not appreciate that everything that teams and drivers say externally about Suzuka is what they really feel," he said.

"Everyone always says it’s the best track with best fans, and having spoken to those people around me it seems that is the case.

"The track layout with all its high-speed, flowing corners in succession makes it a cool track to drive.

"Then if you look at the history, so many memorable title-deciding moments have happened there.

"Obviously the race has now moved to the cherry blossom season, which looks great – but a bit sad for me personally as my birthday is 13 October, which used to be when the race would take place!"

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Written by

Matthew Hobkinson - Lead Editor

After four years working for a Lloyd's of London insurance syndicate, lockdown gave Matt the chance to chase a career in sports journalism - he hasn't looked back. Matt has found a home here at GPFans where he can showcase the weird and wonderful world of F1 to the millions of fans around the world who are just as passionate as he is about the best sport in the world.

View full biography

F1 Mercedes George Russell Japanese Grand Prix Suzuka