© Steve Etherington for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.
George Russell says last year he “experienced some fans booing me on a driver’s parade” for the first time, and reveals how he dealt with that.
George Russell entered Formula 1 back in 2019 with Williams, but being in a relatively uncompetitive team somewhat shielded him from the court of public opinion.
However when he joined Mercedes in 2022, and teamed up with Lewis Hamilton, he was suddenly in the spotlight.
The Briton reveals he then experienced getting booed by the fans him for the first time in his career.
“Last year, for the first time, I experienced some fans booing me on a driver’s parade,” Russell said.
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“I’d never experienced that before. I’m a 24-year-old kid living his dream, just going out, working hard, trying to do his best, and you got these grown men booing you.
“I laughed it off, but it makes you think. It’s a funny old world. Many of us live on social media, which is an incredibly toxic place, especially in the Formula 1 sphere.
“For me, it’s learning and understanding how to deal with this but also recognising the challenges that young adults or teenagers in school go through with social media.
“It’s very difficult, and these sort of social issues are only becoming greater over time,” he concluded.
