George Russell "Nationality should not be a factor in becoming an F1 driver"[F1-Gate .com]

George Russell of Mercedes F1 does not want drivers to get a chance in F1 because of their nationality.

It has long been a fact that F1 drivers can generate great support in their home countries and directly benefit F1. Max Verstappen is a prime example, and his fans of the Netherlands, dubbed “Army,” have become an important factor in ensuring the return of the Dutch Grand Prix on the F1 calendar.

Meanwhile, Zhou Guanyu made his debut as the first Chinese driver on the F1 grid in 2022, and the contract with the Alfa Romeo F1 team opens up favorable sponsorship opportunities in China, the team said.

And as F1 pushes for expansion in the U.S., the next agenda is to become an American driver who can be competitive in F1 and take the growing interest in F1 in the U.S. to the next level. ..

But George Russell is keen to make sure that drivers who reach F1 didn’t do it just because of their nationality.

Prior to the first Miami Grand Prix, George Russell told reporters about American drivers, “I don’t have much experience with American drivers. I don’t remember much. Maybe I had one or two in the Kurt era.”

“I think F1 is the pinnacle of sport, and you shouldn’t put drivers on the grid just by nationality. We get the right to be here ourselves and the best we can prove ourselves when we are here. I don’t think we live in a perfect world, but this is the pinnacle and we need to stay that way. “

“We have the best engineers, everything is great here. We need to go to the best places and filter the drivers, and when we get the best, the show gets even better. Often, I think that’s where I stand. “

Carlos Sainz of Ferrari said that any driver at the level of F1 would be welcomed, but agreed with George Russell that nationality could not be a decisive factor.

“I think what George says explains it very well,” said Carlos Sainz.

“F1 … welcomes any top-level driver. If it’s American, I don’t think you need to look up nationality. You need to look up talent.”

“If there was one talented person in F1, he would come here and welcome his race and enjoy racing hard.”