George Russell celebrated Mercedes’ double podium at the Dutch Grand Prix by rewarding team members from the Brackley and Brixworth facilities with a private karting event at Silverstone Circuit.
Mercedes confirmed the event on social media, posting on X: “Swapping the W17 for the kart. All smiles as George treated team members from both Brackley and Brixworth to a special karting experience at Silverstone.”
Russell joins Mercedes staff for Silverstone karting day
The event brought together employees from Mercedes’ main headquarters in Brackley and Mercedes High Performance Powertrains (HPP) in Brixworth.
“We’re here at Silverstone doing a team karting day,” Russell told the camera. “A thousand people applied from Brackley and Brixworth, but we can only fit 170 people. Really looking forward to it, and I’m going to be racing with them.”
After the staff had completed several laps, Russell put on his race suit and joined them on track. He also handed out medals to the participants at the end of the event.
Fans responded positively to footage of Russell enjoying the day. One commenter on X wrote: “It’s so nice seeing George this happy. It makes you realise how different things could be with a bit more support. Obviously, I’m not talking about Marcus, Katsu, and the others; you know full well who the problem is…”
Another fan added: “I really love how happy George looks for the entire day. He really loves this team.”
Some comments took a more sarcastic tone, including: “Just give him the kart at Monza. Probably be more reliable” and “He finally gets a reliable car, no wonder he’s happy.”
Mercedes leads 2026 constructors’ championship
The karting event comes during a strong 2026 campaign for Mercedes. The team currently leads the constructors’ championship with 425 points, while Ferrari is second on 338 points.
Russell sits second in the drivers’ championship, 59 points behind his team-mate Kimi Antonelli. He is level on points with Lewis Hamilton.
The 13th round of the season will be held at Monza during the Italian Grand Prix weekend from 4-6 September.
Source: www.motorsport.com
