George Russell left Formula 1 fans amused after revealing his secret mission during first practice at the Mexico City Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver gave up his car to reserve driver Frederik Vesti to meet the team's rookie appearance quota, providing him with a rare free hour.
Rather than watching from the garage, Russell decided to get a closer look at the action. Donning a large coat and a Mexican lucha libre mask to avoid recognition, he snuck into the famous stadium section of the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
In a behind-the-scenes video posted on social media, Russell explained his disguise: 'Someone is borrowing my car and I've not seen an F1 car on track for a long, long time, so let's go.' He was filmed walking through the Mercedes garage before putting on the mask and heading to the stands.
Once there, Russell pointed to Vesti driving through the stadium section, exclaiming: 'That's my car! He's in my car!' After leaving, he jogged past a group of fans and commented, 'He's a good driver,' without them realising who he was. It was only after removing his mask back in the paddock that he was recognised and photographed by fans.
Reflecting on the experience, Russell said: 'I enjoyed that a lot, to be honest. I haven't seen F1 cars on track for years and years, so it was cool. I got to see what everyone else sees.' Fans on social media praised the stunt, with one calling it 'iconic' and another imagining sitting next to him unknowingly.
Vesti completed 32 laps in the session, placing 14th on the timesheets. Kimi Antonelli was the busiest driver with 35 laps, finishing second behind Charles Leclerc, who showed strong pace for Ferrari.
