Mercedes Formula 1 driver George Russell has revealed that he would love the opportunity to try NASCAR in a video with 2023 Cup champion Ryan Blaney.
In a video organised by WhatsApp, the drivers visited Ford’s Farm in Homestead, Florida, owned by Michelin-starred chef Jeremy Ford, where they completed farm-related tasks such as picking ylang-ylang flowers, driving a tractor and collecting eggs and honey.
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Afterwards, Russell and Blaney sat down with Ford for lunch and discussed farms, racing and what life could look like for them after retiring.
“I appreciate all forms of racing and I know the challenges in everything we do,” Russell told Blaney. “Obviously, a lot of people for you guys on the ovals just think you’re driving circles. And it’s so much more technical than that. I definitely appreciate it. I’d love to try it one day.”
Blaney welcomed the idea and suggested a swap of F1 and NASCAR machinery. “Well, we’d have to do a crossover, for sure,” Blaney responded. “I didn’t really grow up open-wheel racing at all, but I love road racing. It was a big thing for me to learn when I got into NASCAR because we do that quite a bit, and it’s something I didn’t really grow up doing.”
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This comes after a string of tricky races for Russell. After winning the season-opening Australian Grand Prix and the Chinese sprint race, things took a turn for the 28-year-old. As he encountered multiple issues, such as car problems and unfortunately timed safety cars, his 19-year-old team-mate Kimi Antonelli took the lead of the championship.
Heading into the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix on 12-14 June, Antonelli now leads the standings by 66 points and Russell sits third after he was overtaken by Lewis Hamilton at the Monaco Grand Prix.
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