- Text: Guillaume Alvarez
- Video & photos: Alex Vernardis
George Russell spent a couple of seasons on karting tracks in the early 2010s. Some of his most noticeable achievements include two FIA Karting European titles in KF3, a victory in the South Garda Winter Cup along with a win in Las Vegas’s Superkarts! USA SuperNationals.
His last season in the sport, in 2013, saw him compete in KF2/KF before embracing the single-seater path. Going through British F4, GP3 and F2, his multiple successes and trophies opened him the doors of Formula 1, first as a Mercedes AMG test driver, then as a Grand Prix regular with Williams.
In the onboard above, Russell (Birel ART/TM) can be seen going around the Kartodromo La Conca during a Free Practice session prior to the opening round of the 2013 WSK Master Series. The Brit, seventh-fastest in the second qualifying group, was not particularly happy in his heats despite a third-place finish. Sunday’s outcome turned out to be more positive.
30th on the Prefinal’s grid, he produced an astonishing recovery up to 12th place, followed by another strong performance in a 20 lap-Final concluded in eighth position. Russell also competed in the series’s second meeting at Sarno (seventh) and classified 14th in KF’s overall classification.
Find out more about our special articles and interviews:
- George Russell : “Back in karting, it was just pure racing”Kimi Räikkönen: “If my son asks to compete, I would help him as much as I can”
- Robert Kubica : “I’ve never been as good a driver as in karting”
- Lando Norris : “Karting was a great time, I would not change it for anything”
- Charles Leclerc : “Most of my race vision I’ve learned through karting”
- Alex Albon on his karting days : “I had good battles with Verstappen”
- The day Senna missed the Karting World Championship (again)
More thrilling onboards:
- Lookback: When Verstappen competed in RGMMC’s Euro-Challenge at Castelletto
- Onboard: Marijn Kremers masters Lonato at the 2019 KZ World Championship
- Onboards: When Verstappen broke Genk’s lap record at the 2013 KZ European Championship
- Throwback Video: Onboard Paolo De Conto at La Conca – 2013 WSK Master Series
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