George Russell hits 100th Grand Prix for Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team as team racks up Fuji 24-hour wins

George Russell marked his 100th Grand Prix start for the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona-Catalunya. The British driver made his Mercedes debut at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix and claimed his first podium with the Silver Arrows at the 2022 Australian Grand Prix. Russell’s milestone weekend in Spain ended with another podium finish, bringing his total to 26 podiums for Mercedes. “I was lucky enough to meet George when he was 17 years old. He walked into my office in a suit and tie with a PowerPoint presentation to convince me to sign him as a Mercedes driver. Who would have thought that ten years later he would be part of the F1 team, winning races and fighting for the world title? It’s something we’ve achieved together, and I’m proud of that,” said Toto Wolff, Team Principal & CEO of Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team. Russell’s achievement was praised by teammate Kimi Antonelli, who highlighted the strong team dynamic and mutual drive for improvement. Frederik Vesti, Mercedes’ reserve driver, lauded Russell’s relentless work ethic and competitive spirit. Beyond the track, Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team continues to push sustainability boundaries. During the European season, the team deployed a fully electric Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 truck to transport critical operational equipment between races. The eActros 600, powered by a 600 kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery, covers at least 500 km per charge and can recharge from 20% to 80% in just 25 minutes using megawatt charging. By the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid in mid-September, the truck will have logged around 15,000 km emission-free. In GT racing, Simon Wilbers takes over as Head of Mercedes-AMG Motorsport on July 1, succeeding Christoph Sagemüller, who leaves the brand after 15 years. Sagemüller, who joined Mercedes-AMG in 2011, oversaw key strategic moves including the development of the next-gen Mercedes-AMG GT3 and the launch of Affalterbach Racing GmbH. Under his leadership, Mercedes-AMG Motorsport secured titles in the DTM, GT World Challenge, and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, along with victories in Macau and a recent overall win at the Nürburgring 24 Hours. The brand also returned to the Le Mans 24 Hours last year after a 26-year absence. Wilbers, who has been with Mercedes since 2018, previously led Customer Experience & Marketing Activation for F1 and GT Sport, F1 Official Cars & Operations, Commercial & Partner Management, and AMG Direct Sales & VIP Customers. He will now steer the strategic direction of the motorsport division alongside existing teams. Mercedes-AMG Motorsport also celebrated a record fifth consecutive victory at the 24 Hours of Fuji in the Super Taikyu Series. TKRI’s quartet of Tatsuya Kataoka, Daisuke Matsunaga, Yuya Motojima, and Yūki Nakayama dominated the 793-lap race with an 80-second margin, repeating their 2023 triumph in the Mercedes-AMG GT3 #23. Kataoka now holds the solo record for most Fuji 24 Hours wins with four consecutive victories. Craft-Bamboo Racing added another podium with the Mercedes-AMG GT3 #33, marking their fourth top-three finish in four races this season. In the Michelin 24H SERIES Europe, Mercedes-AMG Motorsport secured a double victory in the 12-hour race at Paul Ricard with the GT3 cars.