George Russell (born 15 February 1998) is a British racing driver currently competing in the 2019 Formula One World Championship for the Williams team. He is the reigning FIA Formula 2 Champion for ART and the 2017 GP3 Series Champion.
Born in King's Lynn, Norfolk, Russell began karting in 2006 and progressed through to the cadet class by 2009, becoming MSA British champion and British Open champion. In 2010 he moved to the Rotax Mini Max category where he became Super One British champion, Formula Kart Stars British champion and also won the Kartmasters British Grand Prix. Russell graduated to the KF3 class in 2011, winning the SKUSA Supernationals title and becoming CIK-FIA European Champion, a title he successfully defended in 2012. In his final year of karting in 2013, Russell finished 19th in the KF1 CIK-FIA World Championship.
In 2014, Russell made his single-seater debut, racing in the Formula Renault 2.0 Alps championship. He originally signed to race for Prema Powerteam, before making a last-minute switch to Koiranen GP. Despite missing a round through illness, he finished fourth in the championship, taking a single podium finish at the Red Bull Ring.
Russell also contested two rounds of the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 championship. He took part in the Moscow round with Koiranen GP before switching to Tech 1 Racing for the final round of the season at Jerez. Racing as a guest entrant, he won the final race of the season after starting from pole position.
In 2014, Russell also competed in the BRDC Formula 4 Championship with defending champions Lanan Racing. He entered the final race of the season at Snetterton in a four-way title battle with teammate Arjun Maini and the HHC Motorsport pairing of Sennan Fielding and Raoul Hyman. After starting from pole position, Russell won the race, his fifth of the season, to clinch the title by just three points from Maini.
As a prize for winning the BRDC Formula 4 championship, Russell tested a GP3 car with Arden Motorsport at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. In December 2014, Russell became the youngest-ever winner of the prestigious McLaren Autosport BRDC Award, beating fellow finalists Alexander Albon, Ben Barnicoat, Sennan Fielding, Seb Morris and Harrison Scott to earn himself a £100,000 cash prize, British Racing Drivers' Club membership and a Formula One test with McLaren.
In February 2015, Russell was announced as one of the twelve drivers selected to join the British Racing Drivers' Club SuperStars programme, the youngest-ever recruit to the scheme.
Russell graduated to Formula Three in 2015, racing in the FIA European Formula 3 Championship with Carlin. He took his first race victory in the opening round of the season at Silverstone, finishing ahead of fellow debutant Charles Leclerc and Antonio Giovinazzi in the second race of the weekend. He took a further two podium places at Spa-Francorchamps and the Norisring to finish sixth in the championship. He also finished as runner-up to Leclerc in the rookie championship standings.
In September 2015, Russell took part in the Masters of Formula 3 non-championship event held at Zandvoort. After finishing fourth in the qualification race, he went on to finish second behind teammate Antonio Giovinazzi in the main race. Russell was also scheduled to compete in the Macau Grand Prix with Carlin, but was replaced by Japanese Euroformula Open Championship driver Yu Kanamaru shortly before the event.
Russell switched to Hitech GP for the 2016 season, scored two victories and finished third in the standings.
On 19 January 2017, Russell signed with ART Grand Prix for the upcoming GP3 Series season. He had previously driven for the team at the post-season test at Yas Marina in November 2016.
Russell made a solid start to the season at the Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona, where he finished the weekend with 4th and 5th position finishes. The next race at the Red Bull Ring saw him take his maiden pole position and victory in the GP3 Series. Russell scored back to back pole positions at his 'home race' at Silverstone, before converting this into another victory in the first race of the weekend and taking 4th position in the second race, on his way to taking the championship lead.
A dominant performance at Spa-Francorchamps soon followed which saw Russell build his championship lead advantage, after taking a victory and a 2nd position in the two races, alongside Pole Position and Fastest Lap in both races.
The next round at Monza saw only one GP3 Series event take place after adverse weather conditions resulting into the Saturday Race being cancelled. Russell won a titanic tussle with his ART Grand Prix teammates Jack Aitken and Anthoine Hubert to seal his fourth victory of the season.
Russell had taken four victories, three pole positions and five further podiums to put him in a position to seal the championship at Jerez, with a complete round of the championship still to run at Yas Marina. Russell won the 2017 GP3 Series title after taking 4th position in race two, giving him an unassailable lead in the championship standings.
On 18 January 2018 Russell was confirmed as a driver for ART Grand Prix for the 2018 FIA F2 Championship, which would see the new Dallara F2/18 make its debut in the expanding 12-race calendar. He was also confirmed as the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport F1 Reserve Driver, sharing duties with Pascal Wehrlein on 22 February 2018.
He would later go on to win the title with victory in the feature race at Abu Dhabi after a season long fight with fellow Brit Lando Norris.
Russell was announced as one of the Pirelli Tyre Test Drivers for Force India at the post-Spanish Grand Prix test on 1 May 2018. He completed 123 laps for the team at the test, his first in a Formula One car with 2018 specifications.
In October 2018 it was announced that Russell would be driving for the Williams Formula 1 Team at the start of the 2019 season where he will be partnered by Robert Kubica.
† As Russell was a guest driver, he was ineligible for championship points.
^ a b "About George Russell". georgerussellracing.com. George Russell. Archived from the original on 15 December 2014. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
^ "CIK-FIA European KF3 Championship 2012 standings". driverdb.com. Driver Database. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
^ "Driver: George Russell". BRDC Formula 4 Championship. British Racing Drivers' Club. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
^ Khorounzhiy, Valentin (10 March 2014). "Prema sign Russell, Bosak for Formula Renault Alps campaign". paddockscout.com. Paddock Scout. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
^ Allen, Peter (1 April 2014). "Russell and Tang set to move teams ahead of Alps opener". paddockscout.com. Paddock Scout. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
^ "Formula Renault 2.0 Alps 2014 standings". driverdb.com. Driver Database. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
^ Khorounzhiy, Valentin (19 October 2014). "Guest driver George Russell delivers Tech 1's first Eurocup win of 2014". paddockscout.com. Paddock Scout. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
^ "Multiple Karting champion George Russell joins F4 with Lanan". BRDC Formula 4 Championship. British Racing Drivers' Club. 6 December 2013. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
^ "Race Three Title Permutations". BRDC Formula 4 Championship. British Racing Drivers' Club. 26 October 2014. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
^ Allen, Peter (26 October 2014). "George Russell wins BRDC F4 title decider to steal crown". paddockscout.com. Paddock Scout. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
^ Allen, Peter (27 November 2014). "Ceccon leads Jones and Russell as GP3 test begins". paddockscout.com. Paddock Scout. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
^ Mitchell, Scott (7 December 2014). "George Russell wins 2014 McLaren AUTOSPORT BRDC Award". Autosport. Haymarket Publications. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
^ Simmons, Marcus (9 January 2015). "McLaren AUTOSPORT BRDC Award winner Russell seals European F3 deal". Autosport. Haymarket Publications. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
^ Allen, Peter (11 April 2015). "George Russell claims victory in second Formula 3 start". paddockscout.com. Paddock Scout. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
^ "FIA Formula 3 European Championship 2015 standings". driverdb.com. Driver Database. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
^ "Rookie George Russell's debut in a Formula 1 car". fiaf3europe.com. European Formula 3 Championship. 23 October 2015. Archived from the original on 19 November 2015. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
^ David, Gruz (19 September 2015). "Giovinazzi dominates Masters of F3 qualification race as Sette Camara bogs down". paddockscout.com. Paddock Scout. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
^ David, Gruz (20 September 2015). "Giovinazzi seals Masters of F3 title with dominant victory". paddockscout.com. Paddock Scout. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
^ Allen, Peter (11 November 2015). "Kanamaru replaces Russell in another last-minute Carlin Macau chance". paddockscout.com. Paddock Scout. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
^ "George Russell to race with ART Grand Prix in 2017". 19 January 2017. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
^ Simmons, Marcus (21 November 2016). "George Russell tipped for Mercedes F1 role and ART GP3 in 2017". Autosport. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
^ "Russell flies to maiden win in Austria – GP3 Series". www.gp3series.com. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
^ "Russell delights fans with home win – GP3 Series". www.gp3series.com. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
^ Kalinaukas, Alex. "Spa GP3: Mercedes junior George Russell leads ART 1–2–3 to victory". Autosport.com. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
^ "Monza Race 1 postponed – GP3 Series". www.gp3series.com. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
^ Kalinauckas, Alex. "Mercedes F1's George Russell wins thrilling Monza GP3 race". Autosport.com. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
^ "George Russell takes the 2017 GP3 Series title at Jerez | George Russell Racing". www.georgerussellracing.com. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
^ "George Russell Graduates with ART GP to FIA Formula 2 | George Russell". www.georgerussellracing.com. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
^ "Expanded calendar for FIA Formula 2 Championship in 2018". Formula1.com. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
^ Mitchell, Scott. "Wehrlein, Russell to share Mercedes F1 reserve driver role in 2018". Autosport.com. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
^ "Russell finishes 5th in Bahrain FIA Formula 2 Feature Race | George Russell". www.georgerussellracing.com. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
^ "Russell Denied Dominant Baku FIA Formula 2 Race Victory | George Russell". www.georgerussellracing.com. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
^ "Redemption for Russell with Baku F2 Sprint Race Win | George Russell". www.georgerussellracing.com. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
^ "Russell wins action-packed Barcelona FIA F2 Feature Race | George Russell". www.georgerussellracing.com. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
^ "George Russell takes 4th in Barcelona FIA F2 Sprint Race | George Russell". www.georgerussellracing.com. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
^ "Russell Scores Maiden FIA F2 Pole Position at Paul Ricard | George Russell". www.georgerussellracing.com. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
^ "Russell Wins in Dramatic F2 Feature Race at Paul Ricard | George Russell". www.georgerussellracing.com. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
^ "British racing driver George Russell added to Mercedes' junior programme". 19 January 2017. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
^ AG, Mercedes-Benz by Daimler. "Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport – George Russell to test W08 in Budapest". www.mercedesamgf1.com. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
^ "British driver George Russell to debut for Force India in Brazilian Grand Prix practice". BBC Sport. 7 November 2017. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
^ "Nicholas Latifi and Nikita Mazepin set for Barcelona test | Force India F1". www.forceindiaf1.com. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
^ "Russell Completes 123 Laps in Pirelli Tyre Test for Force India | George Russell". www.georgerussellracing.com. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
^ "George Russell joins Williams for Formula 1 2019". skysports.com. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
This page was last edited on 14 April 2019, at 14:28 (UTC).