Home Formula 1 George Russell gets two-day Mercedes F1 test in Hungary

George Russell gets two-day Mercedes F1 test in Hungary

by Peter Allen
Russell

Photo: Zak Mauger/GP3 Series Media Service

George Russell will drive for Mercedes on both days of the in-season Formula 1 test in Hungary in August, making his first official F1 appearance.

The British racer was signed by Mercedes to its junior programme ahead of the 2017 season, when he is racing in GP3 for ART Grand Prix.

With a driver who has completed no more than two F1 race required to drive for each team on two of the four in-season test days, Russell will get to drive the 2017 Mercedes on both days of the second test at the Hungaroring on August 1-2.

He?has already driven a 2015-specification Mercedes in a private test at Portimao in April.

?I?m just so excited to be testing the W08,? said Russell,?who is with the team in Baku this weekend.

?I?ve probably driven more virtual laps than anyone else with this car so it?s going to be incredible to drive it in reality.

?My biggest priority is to do a good job for the team, to tick off the items on the engineers? programme and make sure we get the most out of the car and our running over the two days.?

Russell, 19, is fifth in the GP3 standings after the opening round at Barcelona last month.