George Russell has expressed his hopes that before, the 2020 FIA Formula 1 World Championship starts he will be able to complete some testing within the Formula 1 car.
Formula 1 currently stands on a hiatus with the start of the season expected to come at the 2020 Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix, in July. With the opening ten races called off due to the global pandemic of COVID-19.
However, the race at the Red Bull Ring in Austria, would mark serval months since testing took place at the Circuit De Catalunya-Barcelona. As the drivers have only been able to be in their cars, in the six days of winter testing.
The Williams Racing driver said, while speaking to SkySports F1, how he is hoping to be able to complete some running in a Formula 1 car. He explained that there will be different options for him, which may not be the FW43, but he is hoping to get a run in the car due to the time he has spent away from it.
“That’s something I’ll really be trying to do. I think realistically karting will be the first opportunity I get. As soon as I can, I’ll be karting.
“But ultimately I want to try and jump in a Formula 1 car before we go back racing again. So whether that’s in a Williams or in a Mercedes, we have to wait and see, just to get some laps under our belt.
“But it may even be in a Formula 3 or Formula 2 car as well. Anything that’s got four wheels and can go around a race track I think will be better than nothing.”
Formula 1 has laid out rules which means drivers cannot run their cars from the last two season. But 2018 FIA Formula 1 World Championship spec cars can be run privately by teams.
Russell, along with Charles Leclerc, Alex Albon and Lando Norris have been live streaming races and competing in the Virtual Grand Prix to help them keep up with racing.
“Unlike other sports, you can’t have a race circuit with a Formula 1 in your back garden. It’s not like a footballer who can just go out and kick a football and do their own training,
“It’s very difficult. I’m doing everything I can in the gym I’ve got here, cardio-wise either running or cycling. And also from a mental standpoint, doing things like learning to juggle or just trying to keep my mind occupied and stay on the ball as much as I can.
“I’ve recently invested in a more top quality simulator equipment and started not only to do it for fun, but to start training on there, thinking this is the closest thing I’ve got to reality and I need to stay sharp and be ready for whenever we go back.“