Russell treats 170 Mercedes staff to Silverstone karting day after Dutch GP double podium

George Russell brought together 170 Mercedes employees for a private karting day at Silverstone Circuit, rewarding staff from the team’s Brackley headquarters and its High Performance Powertrains (HPP) facility in Brixworth in the wake of Mercedes’ double podium at the Dutch Grand Prix.

Mercedes confirmed the event on social media, writing: “Swapping the W17 for the kart. All smiles as George treated team members from both Brackley and Brixworth to a special karting experience at Silverstone.”

Russell explained the scale of interest before pulling on his race suit to join the group on track. “A thousand people applied from Brackley and Brixworth, but we can only fit 170 people,” he said to camera. “Really looking forward to it, and I’m going to be racing with them.” After the staff had completed their laps, Russell handed out medals to the group.

The gesture drew warm reactions from fans online. “I really love how happy George looks for the entire day. He really loves this team,” one supporter wrote. Others were more wry: “Just give him the kart at Monza. Probably be more reliable.”

The outing reflects a buoyant mood inside the Mercedes camp. The team currently leads the constructors’ championship with 425 points, 87 clear of Ferrari in second on 338. In the drivers’ standings, Russell sits second, 59 points behind team-mate Kimi Antonelli and level on points with Lewis Hamilton.

Mercedes’ next opportunity to extend that advantage comes at Monza, where the Italian Grand Prix takes place from 4–6 September.