Las Vegas Grand Pix Winner George Russell Talks Fast Cars And Slow Travel

Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 driver George Russell lives by the motto, “If in doubt, go flat out.” This adage applies to all facets of his life, from racing to travel. Look at his social media presence — Russell piloting a fighter jet, driving a classic Mercedes and collecting a trophy — and his persona seems straight from a movie. Between modeling designer clothing and taking snaps in picturesque locales, Russell has a fast-paced life that matches his career.

And now that he’s won the 2024 Formula 1 Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix, one of F1’s biggest races on the U.S. calendar, we’re guessing things are only going to go up another gear from here.

“I was planning on flying in a couple of hours, but I’m definitely not getting on that flight,” Russell told the Las Vegas Review-Journal after the November 23 victory, his third of the season. “I’m going to enjoy this evening with all of my team. It’s been a dream weekend. I don’t know why we’ve been so quick, but I’m just riding this wave right now.”

“Everywhere we go, I am always most excited about the racing,” he told Forbes Travel Guide before the race. “Las Vegas is such a surreal destination in its own right, let alone when there’s a racetrack going through the streets. Every race is like a Super Bowl, but this is like the grand Super Bowl of the season.”

In addition to the dramatic positioning of the track, which made for great photo opportunities and an unforgettable light show from the Sphere, last year’s race was undoubtedly one of the most thrilling of the season. Carlos Sainz dislodged a manhole cover during the first practice. Max Verstappen sang “Viva Las Vegas” over his race radio upon winning.

But this year, Russell left most of the drama at the starting line. The 26-year-old British driver started out on the pole and led the entire race, even getting up to a breezy 10-second cushion at one point.

“The two races I’ve been on pole before, it’s always been chaos,” Russell told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “I felt confident here, I had a good gap, but I’m just waiting for something to happen, and it didn’t. So, I guess luck had turned.”

Indeed. By receiving the checkered flag, all of Russell’s hard work and dedication has proved worthwhile. When he’s in Las Vegas, and everyone else is partaking in the city’s diversions, Russell sticks to a strict schedule. Working 24 weeks a year around the globe, Russell moves between hotels, circuits and appearances with little room to relax or be a tourist.

“Formula One is an extremely glamorous sport and we travel to these incredible destinations very comfortably and nicely,” he says. “But the fact is, we’re all going there to do a job, and we’re not going there to do sightseeing or visit restaurants. When I arrive, I’ll go to the hotel, wake up the next day, go to the circuit and then go back to the hotel. That’s my routine for four days. Then, I fly home again to prepare for the next event.”

His preferred stay on and off the road is at The Ritz-Carlton, a Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 team sponsor. However, some destinations stand out more than others, and the memories of his quiet times leave a lasting impression. “In Melbourne, we stay in a beautiful hotel overlooking the city. I remember eating my breakfast on the 80th floor,” he says, referencing Atria at The Ritz-Carlton, Melbourne. “I was [also] on the Ritz-Carlton yacht in Monaco, which was so impressive. I’d never been on a yacht of that size before. I had my girlfriend and some of my family on the yacht.”

When he is not working, it’s off to the islands. “I went to Grand Cayman with The Ritz-Carlton last year,” Russell says. “It is such a beautiful resort and destination.” While there, he participated in the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star hotel’s Community Footprints program, which emphasizes the importance of protecting natural habitats, inviting guests to disconnect from their phones, getting out in the environment and learning what they can do in their everyday lives to make a bigger impact.

Until the 2024 season wraps with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit on December 8, Russell’s mind will be on driving, with a full view of where he has been this year and the many changes ahead, which include having new teammate Kimi Antonelli (“He’s a fantastic driver. I expect him to be exceptionally fast and keep me on my toes.”) and losing another one, the icon Lewis Hamilton, to Ferrari (“I’ve had the privilege of being teammates with the greatest driver of all time for the past three years. In life, sport, business, whatever it may be, things evolve.”).

Seven drivers have won from four teams (2024 F1 world champ Verstappen, Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz, Oscar Piastri, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell) across 22 races this year. This represents the most diverse group of winners since 2012.

“It’s been an up-and-down season, and there’s been a number of unexpected results,” Russell says. “We started the season on the back foot, and none of us expected to be able to fight for any race wins this season. And suddenly, as a team, we’ve got three race wins under our belt, two pole positions to my name so far [before the Vegas race]. We’re slowly bringing Mercedes closer to the front, but we don’t want to get closer to the front. We want to be the front-running team. We want to be that team to beat.”

Russell has now won three Formula One Grands Prix in his six seasons. He would have had four, but earlier this year, he became the first driver in 30 years to be disqualified from a race win at the Belgian Grand Prix because his car weighed 1.5 kilograms under the minimum post-race weight.

“My biggest highlight was probably the race I won in Belgium, which I was disqualified from afterward,” Russell says. “It was such an exceptional race, and I feel that was perhaps one of the best drives of my career. And it went right down to the wire, the very last lap. Lewis is behind me, within half a second of beating me to victory. Those emotions I will remember forever.”

But with the big win in Vegas, Russell has a garage full of new memories to pull from forever.

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