Malaysian fans leave George Russell lost for words with handmade scrapbook at F1's Sepang return

George Russell was visibly moved at Sepang International Circuit on Friday after a Malaysian fan group handed him a handmade scrapbook packed with personal messages, sketches, and photographs — a gesture timed to Formula 1’s first return to the Malaysian venue in nine years.

The moment was captured on video posted to Mercedes’ social media channels. A group of supporters wearing matching turquoise Mercedes hats, identifying themselves as ‘Team GR63, Malaysia’, approached Russell at the entrance to his garage and presented him with the thick blue folder.

“Oh, wow. Thank you,” Russell said as he received it, before the footage cut to him sitting in the Mercedes motorhome and working through the pages in more detail.

Flipping through the collection of handwritten notes, computer-printed messages, and hand-drawn artwork, Russell struggled to find the right words. “It’s incredible. This has all been handmade. There’s written notes, some things on computer, drawings. It’s very sweet. It’s really surreal and… yeah, I don’t… bit lost for words, to be honest. Look at the size of this book. It’s incredible. It’s absolutely incredible.”

The scrapbook arrived on a difficult day on track for the Silver Arrows. Mercedes encountered tyre degradation issues during both Friday practice sessions in the Malaysian heat, leaving the team with work to do ahead of Saturday’s running. The fan gesture, however, provided a warmer note to close out the day.

Sepang last hosted a Formula 1 grand prix in 2017, making this weekend’s race a significant milestone for the sport’s return to Southeast Asia and, clearly, for the local fanbase that has kept its passion for the series alive in the intervening years.