Mercedes F1 new recruit George Russell explains why he’s nicknamed Mr Saturday

After outstanding performances with Williams F1 last season, George Russell will now drive for Mercedes F1 in the upcoming season alongside seven-time Drivers’ Champion Lewis Hamilton.

The 23-year old received great recognition at his former team for being able to deliver in qualifying, earning him the famous nickname of ‘Mr Saturday.’

George Russell reveals why he’s called Mr Saturday

In an interview with Crash.net, George Russell revealed the thrills of qualifying and how he enjoys dealing with the pressure situation of clocking in the fastest lap. In the previous three years of driving for Williams F1, Russell has received recognition for placing his car as high up as possible on the grid.

Speaking of enjoying the pressure of qualifying, the Brit said, “It’s the high-pressure stakes of qualifying; you go out there, you’ve got one lap to do the business. The pressure is on and the world’s watching. It just excites me and I thrive on that pressure to go out there and deliver. I think for a lot of drivers, it’s the most exciting part of the weekend. It’s when your car is at its fastest and when everything is on the line.”

Russell went on to explain how the differences between qualifying and the race, and why he enjoys the former more. “It’s like a sprint, [with] the race being more of a marathon, managing it to the end. You can’t sprint every lap of a race because you’d be burned out. You’d tire the engine and the brakes. But qualifying – you are not holding anything back, you are unleashing everything and that’s what I enjoy,” added the 23-year old.

George Russell explains the secret to racing faster

George Russell explained how working with the team helps him unlock more pace from his car. “I think, as a driver, your natural speed probably doesn’t improve much from the age of 16, 17 to the rest of your career. You become faster because you learn how to work with the team better, how to get more out of your car, from the technical aspects, [asking], ‘How do I get my tires working in a better window to make them go faster on track?’ These are all things you obviously learn with experience and I think I’ve progressed a huge amount. I am definitely a faster driver today than I was three years ago. Not from my natural ability, but more from the things you learn technically along the way,” explained the Mercedes F1 driver.

Image: AP