George Russell has detailed a seven-driver Langkawi getaway, confirming at a press conference at the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur that Mercedes title sponsor Petronas recommended the trip. The George Russell Langkawi break also included a go-kart race between the group, which Russell shared with fans on Instagram.
Russell travelled to the Malaysian island with Oscar Piastri, Alex Albon, Oliver Bearman, Carlos Sainz, Gabriel Bortoleto and Lando Norris. The seven drivers used the break as downtime before this week’s grand prix commitments in Malaysia.
Petronas Recommendation and Official Press Conference Details
Russell explained to reporters at the Petronas Towers press conference, as detailed in a Motorsport.com report on the drivers’ trip, that the recommendation had come from his team’s title partner. “Langkawi was incredible. I love coming to Malaysia. We come numerous times per year, and everybody at Petronas many times have recommended to go and visit the beautiful island of Langkawi,” he said.
Russell went on to describe the mood among the group. “So we went with six other drivers, and we had a really amazing time. It’s such a beautiful, beautiful place. The people are so friendly, and it felt like a different world being there. So I really enjoyed that, and it was the perfect way to prepare for this week,” he said.
The seven drivers fitted in a go-karting session on the island, racing each other away from the usual simulator and gym routines of a race week.
Group Dynamics and Kimi Antonelli’s Early Arrival Activities
Not every Mercedes driver joined the Langkawi party. Kimi Antonelli arrived in Malaysia early, and he didn’t fly out to the island with the other six, choosing instead to explore Kuala Lumpur.
Antonelli’s stop included a visit to a water park in the capital. Asked about the day, he said: “I had a lot of fun.” He gave more detail on one particular ride. “There were few people, so I could go on the slide repeatedly. I did the same slide five times in like three minutes, so I was just running up and down. It was good,” he said.
Away from the water park, Antonelli used his free days to look around the city itself. “And then other than that, I’ve been here in Malaysia, I’ve been going around the city. It was really cool to see KL in general. I didn’t try any traditional food because, yeah, maybe after the weekend…” he said.
The two accounts gave Mercedes very different build-ups to the week: Russell among a large group of rivals on Langkawi, and Antonelli exploring the capital largely on his own terms.
Upcoming Schedule and On-Track Focus in Malaysia
The George Russell Langkawi trip now gives way to track duties for both Mercedes drivers. Russell returns to the paddock off the back of his victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, a result we covered in detail through his Grand Slam reaction in Azerbaijan and his recent Baku performance analysis.
Antonelli, for his part, held off trying Malaysian food during his early days in the country, choosing to wait until after the race weekend. With practice and qualifying now the focus, both Mercedes drivers return to the paddock for final preparations ahead of this week’s action.
