Following Mercedes' double podium finish at the Dutch Grand Prix, George Russell rewarded staff from the team's Brackley and Brixworth bases with a private karting session at the Silverstone Circuit.
Mercedes confirmed the outing via 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."
The event brought together staff from the 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 already completed some laps, Russell got into his race suit to join them and then handed out medals to the group at the end.
Swapping the W17 for the kart 🏁
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) August 27, 2026
All smiles as George treated team members from both Brackley and Brixworth to a special karting experience at Silverstone 🩵 pic.twitter.com/C0ccEnvHWw
"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..." one fan commented on X, while another added: "I really love how happy George looks for the entire day. He really loves this team."
A couple of slightly sarcastic comments included: "Just give him the kart at Monza. Probably be more reliable" and "He finally gets a reliable car, no wonder he's happy."
This comes amid a strong 2026 campaign for the team. Mercedes currently leads the constructors' championship with 425 points and Ferrari follows in second with 338 points. Russell sits second in the drivers' championship, 59 points behind his team-mate Kimi Antonelli and level on points with Lewis Hamilton.
The 13th round of the season will take place at Monza for the Italian Grand Prix from 4-6 September.
