George Russell reluctantly makes Canadian GP promise as old video resurfaces
George Russell has agreed to jump into the lake at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve if he wins the Canadian Grand Prix
George Russell, Mercedes
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images
George Russell has reluctantly agreed to honour his long-standing promise that he will jump into the lake at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve if he wins the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday.
In a lighthearted video shared on the Mercedes social media platforms, the Briton found himself backed into a corner when his team pulled up footage of him making the promise at the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix.
"You wanted me in last year. Look at it. It's green and brown," Russell said to the voice behind the camera as he looked at the murky water. "I need to see this proof before you start these allegations."
After claiming that he did not remember the bet from 2025, the previous video was swiftly brought up as evidence. "So you've really pushed me into a corner here? Literally pushing me. All right, we'll do that. Sunday. If we're on the top step. Only if we have a top step!"
As they shook hands to seal the deal, Russell quickly added: "And if it's not raining!"
Looking at Russell's previous success at the Canadian Grand Prix and Mercedes' incredibly strong start to the 2026 season, Russell could easily end up in the lake come Sunday evening if everything goes his way. The 28-year-old driver won the 2025 race, with his team-mate Kimi Antonelli finishing in second.
Russell also won the 2026 season-opening Australian Grand Prix and Chinese sprint race before Antonelli claimed three consecutive wins at the Chinese, Japanese and Miami Grands Prix.
Mercedes also has a substantial upgrade package for this weekend, which could yield further performance gains over the quickly improving McLaren cars.
Antonelli now leads the drivers' championship, becoming the youngest driver in the history of F1 to do so, with a 20-point lead over Russell, so the pressure is on the latter to put an end to his Italian team-mate's momentum.
The Canadian Grand Prix weekend, which includes the third sprint race of the year, will take place from 22-24 May.
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