George Russell drives car that made Stirling Moss a Formula 1 winner ahead of British GP
Sir Stirling Moss secured his first Formula 1 victory at the 1955 British Grand Prix
George Russell has driven the 1955 British Grand Prix-winning Mercedes Formula 1 car in the lead-up to this year's race at the iconic Silverstone circuit.
Sir Stirling Moss clinched the victory of the 1955 British Grand Prix in the W196, becoming the first English driver to stand on the top step of the podium at the event. In honour of its legacy, the Brackley outfit took the W196 to Aintree where Russell got behind the wheel.
Russell shared the moment on social media. "WOW! Such an immense privilege to drive the Mercedes-Benz W196 at Aintree!!! This car represents so much to the Mercedes heritage," the 27-year-old driver wrote.
"Sir Stirling Moss and Mercedes won their first ever British GP at this very track in 1955 and as they say, the rest is history. The handling, the raw speed, the sounds and the feel of taking the W196 around the corners of Aintree as Stirling did himself felt so special.
"A massive thank you to the team and everyone involved in making this happen. It really is a moment I won’t ever forget. I can’t think of anything more special to do ahead of the British GP."
While Silverstone has long been the home of the British Grand Prix, between 1955 and 1962 the event alternated between Silverstone and Aintree, beginning with the latter. The event in Liverpool saw Sir Stirling Moss lead a dominant race for Mercedes, taking his first F1 win at the event. Moss also secured the pole position and fastest lap that weekend.
He was joined on the podium by fellow Mercedes drivers, Juan Manuel Fangio and Karl Kling in second and third, respectively. It was the last all-Mercedes-powered podium finish until the 2014 Italian Grand Prix, when Lewis Hamilton won the race and was joined by his team-mate Nico Rosberg in second and Felipe Massa in the Mercedes-powered Williams in third.
The 2025 British Grand Prix is set for this weekend, 4-6 July. Heading into the weekend, Russell sits fourth in the drivers' standings with 146 points, 70 points behind the championship leader Oscar Piastri.
Share Or Save This Story
Jeremy Clarkson makes Alpine F1 promise after Pierre Gasly Italian GP pole
F1 fans celebrate Pierre Gasly after "insane" Italian GP pole position
Mercedes pokes fun at Toto Wolff after angry Italian GP qualifying moment
From Chess.com to Monza pole: How Pierre Gasly beat George Russell twice in one afternoon
How Pierre Gasly and Alpine beat Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull to Italian GP pole
Making sense of Wolff's claim that Mercedes "haven't got the money" for car development
"I did what the team asked": Kimi Antonelli expects George Russell to return favour later in season
George Russell frustrated with Max Verstappen qualifying antics: "He just slammed on the brakes"
Kimi Antonelli’s Italian GP grid penalty could be a blessing in disguise
WATCH: Sebastian Vettel pays emotional Michael Schumacher tribute in Ferrari F2002 - "I felt him a lot today"
Adelaide will be “one of the safest circuits on the calendar”, says MotoGP's deputy CEO
Fernando Alonso and Liam Lawson will start F1 Italian GP from pitlane
Alpine brings back folding rear wing ahead of Pierre Gasly’s Monza pole
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc explain what went wrong for Ferrari in Italian GP qualifying
What makes Lewis Hamilton's 'barn find' Ferrari F40 so important
Explaining the complicated art of F1 braking
What next after Briatore’s explosive McLaren rant?
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments