George Russell: An F1 car instead of a tractor – can he win at Silverstone?

Mercedes driver George Russell heads into his home weekend at Silverstone in second place in the Formula 1 World Championship. The Stuttgart-based team has produced the winner in every race so far this year, apart from Barcelona (Hamilton). So Russell’s chances of success at the British Grand Prix aren’t half bad.

It wasn’t always like that. Ahead of the race weekend at Silverstone, Russell admitted: “I remember dreaming of owning a Massey Ferguson tractor when I was a child. Because that was something I could achieve if I were to succeed.” The current Mercedes driver was born in King’s Lynn, England, not far from the North Sea. His parents, Steve and Alison, own a large farm. Consequently, Russell grew up surrounded by tractors and other agricultural machinery. At the weekend, he’d head to the go-kart track – and from there, on to Formula 1.

Russell overtakes Hamilton again

Now Russell’s world looks very different. Following his victory at the Red Bull Ring a week ago, Russell is back in second place in the World Championship, having overtaken his former team-mate Lewis Hamilton.

Young Russell’s distant dream of F1

Russell: “Now I’ve got a Mercedes Project One.” The Stuttgart-based team’s hypercar. “One day I’ll get myself a Massey Ferguson tractor. But that was so far away and so out of reach that I wasn’t even able to dream that it could become a reality.” Driving in Formula 1, at Silverstone, amongst the World Championship frontrunners, Russell says: “As a child, it all seemed far too far away. I don’t even know if it was a dream, because it was simply beyond comprehension.” Too far away, then – and now, in 2026, right on the doorstep.

A Formula 1 car instead of a tractor – and a title chase instead of a harvest. Trailing his team-mate Kimi Antonelli by 40 points, Russell launches his challenge at the Silverstone sprint weekend. But once again, he’s in the position of the closest challenger. In the meantime, Lewis Hamilton had slipped in between the Mercedes drivers. Russell’s advantage over the Italian Antonelli: he has his home crowd behind him.

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2026: the best chance

Russell has not yet managed to win his home race on the circuit built on the site of the former airfield. Russell: “This year is certainly my best chance.” However, the Englishman insists: “That’s not something I think about, because I’m focusing on my routines, on the hard work with my team, because I know that’s what translates into a win. I don’t dream about it, I work towards it.”