Russell reveals NASCAR ambition after swap talk with Cup champion Blaney

George Russell has admitted he would love to compete in NASCAR one day, following a candid conversation with 2023 Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney in which the two drivers floated the idea of swapping their respective machinery.

The Mercedes driver and Blaney met at Ford’s Farm in Homestead, Florida — owned by Michelin-starred chef Jeremy Ford — where they took part in farm activities including picking ylang-ylang flowers, driving a tractor, and collecting eggs and honey, before sitting down to lunch to talk racing.

“I appreciate all forms of racing and I know the challenges in everything we do,” Russell told Blaney. “Obviously, a lot of people for you guys on the ovals just think you’re driving circles. And it’s so much more technical than that. I definitely appreciate it. I’d love to try it one day.”

Blaney was receptive to the idea and pushed for a full crossover. “Well, we’d have to do a crossover, for sure,” the NASCAR champion replied. “I didn’t really grow up open-wheel racing at all, but I love road racing. It was a big thing for me to learn when I got into NASCAR because we do that quite a bit, and it’s something I didn’t really grow up doing.”

The exchange comes at a difficult moment in Russell’s F1 season. After winning the season-opening Australian Grand Prix and the Chinese sprint race, the 28-year-old has struggled with car problems and poorly timed safety cars. His 19-year-old team-mate Kimi Antonelli has capitalised, seizing the championship lead, and Russell was further set back when Lewis Hamilton moved ahead of him at the Monaco Grand Prix.

Heading into the Spanish Grand Prix at Barcelona-Catalunya on 12-14 June, Antonelli leads the drivers’ standings by 66 points, with Russell sitting third.