Russell hopes for testing before 2020 F1 season starts
George Russell hopes he will be able to complete some test running in a Formula 1 car before the revised start to the 2020 season in Austria in early July.
The opening 10 races of the season were called off as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, but plans are in place to stage two races behind closed doors at the Red Bull Ring in Austria on 5 and 12 July.
It will mark the first F1 race in over seven months, only interrupted by six days of winter testing in February, with many drivers believing it will take time for them to get up to speed once the season begins.
While there are no plans for any official F1 testing before the season begins, Williams driver Russell is hoping to complete some private running to help him shake off any rust that has built up in recent months.
"That's something I'll really be trying to do," Russell said on Sky Sports F1.
"I think realistically karting will be the first opportunity I get. As soon as I can, I'll be karting.
"But ultimately I want to try and jump in a Formula 1 car before we go back racing again. So whether that's in a Williams or in a Mercedes, we have to wait and see, just to get some laps under our belt.
"But it may even be in a Formula 3 or Formula 2 car as well. Anything that's got four wheels and can go around a race track I think will be better than nothing."
F1 teams are prevented from testing cars made in the last two years, meaning drivers would be free to privately run in 2018-spec F1 models.
Some drivers have already completed some karting as lockdown measures ease in their respective countries, including Kevin Magnussen and Pierre Gasly.
While Russell is yet to return to the track, he has recently upgraded his simulator equipment at home in order to help him keep sharp during the break.
"Unlike other sports, you can't have a race circuit with a Formula 1 in your back garden. It's not like a footballer who can just go out and kick a football and do their own training," Russell said.
"It's very difficult. I'm doing everything I can in the gym I've got here, cardio-wise either running or cycling. And also from a mental standpoint, doing things like learning to juggle or just trying to keep my mind occupied and stay on the ball as much as I can.
"I've recently invested in a more top quality simulator equipment and started not only to do it for fun, but to start training on there, thinking this is the closest thing I've got to reality and I need to stay sharp and be ready for whenever we go back."
Share Or Save This Story
1998 Belgian GP: When the Schumachers went to war
The race that transformed perceptions of Red Bull
Hamilton in the process of selecting Brad Pitt’s co-star for F1 movie
Mercedes explains why George Russell pitted under VSC at Madring
George Russell told to turn focus to 2027 as title bid branded "a write-off" after Spanish GP
Why Lando Norris doesn’t buy George Russell’s driving style theory
The NASCAR Trucks Chase is about The Big Three, but who else?
Andrea Stella: McLaren must help Oscar Piastri stop "thinking" about how to drive '26 F1 car
Gateway was a race of opportunity for drivers with several posting season-best results
Christian Rasmussen reunites with Era Motorsport for IMSA’s Indianapolis sprint round
F1 doesn't need to change its VSC rules despite Lando Norris' Spain loss
Why Lando Norris doesn’t buy George Russell’s driving style theory
How Kimi Antonelli is proving unbeatable, even when he's beaten
How Norris unfurled a surprising - and "unrepeatable" - Spanish GP pole lap
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