Formula 1 fans were left stunned after discovering one of the sport’s star drivers had snuck into the grandstands to watch Mexico City Grand Prix practice.
It’s another huge weekend of F1 action as the title race between Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris and Max Verstappen nears its epic conclusion.
The first two practice sessions at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez took place on Friday, however nearly half the grid did not partake in FP1.
Every driver is obligated to give up their car for a rookie for a practice session at two grand prix during the season, with many choosing to do so in Mexico.
And that allowed one racer to do something he very rarely gets a chance to do – watch F1 from the grandstands alongside thousands of passionate supporters.
To do so, the 27-year-old was forced to use a canny disguise and, this being Mexico, he donned a bright green wrestler’s mask, leaving him completely unrecognisable to his fellow spectators.
This driver was none other than British superstar George Russell, who, alongside a member of his Mercedes team, filmed the whole thing.
Sitting in the track’s famous baseball stadium area, fans were none the wiser even when Russell loudly exclaimed: ‘That’s my car! He’s in my car!’ as he watched Frederik Vesti drive past in his Mercedes W16.
He was even able to greet some of his own fans who were wearing his merchandise, cheekily telling them: ‘He’s a good driver,’ much to their confusion.
‘That was warm! I enjoyed that,’ Russell said upon removing his mask as returned to the paddock.
‘I enjoyed that a lot. To be honest, I’ve not seen an F1 car on track for years and years. So it was cool. Good to see what everyone else sees.’
‘When you’re an F1 driver, you can’t watch F1. It’s rare you get the chance to go out,’ he later added.
‘But I tried to do something semi-normal and you know what, I didn’t get recognised too much. And I enjoyed it!’
Russell, who recently signed a £30million-a-year contract extension with the Silver Arrows, is one of the most famous drivers on the grid, having won five races to date, including two in 2025.
He is currently fourth in the championship and mathematically still has a shot at winning the title, though realistically he cannot catch his rivals.
Following his side quest to the grandstands, Russell was back behind the wheel for FP2, finishing the session sixth quickest, half-a-second off the pace of Verstappen.
What time is the Mexico City Grand Prix?
Mexico City Grand Prix qualifying is tonight (Saturday, October 25) and will get underway at 10pm UK time.
The race takes place on Sunday, October 25, with lights out at 8pm.
You can watch all the action live on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event, with highlights available later on Channel 4.
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