George Russell heads into the second half of the season with momentum—After getting engaged, the Mercedes driver jokes about a possible performance boost
George Russell returned from the summer break to the Dutch Grand Prix with some special news: The Mercedes driver got engaged to his longtime partner, Carmen Montero Mundt.
Ahead of the weekend at Zandvoort, Russell spoke in detail for the first time about the proposal—and revealed that there was significantly more planning behind the special moment than it appeared at first glance.
“It was very special and a really, really beautiful time for it,” Russell said. “A lot of thought went into it. It was a very interesting process to design the ring and organize everything.”
In the end, however, the Formula 1 pro was caught off guard by his own nerves. “When the moment finally came, I couldn’t get the words out. Suddenly, I got really nervous when I was down on one knee,” Russell says with a laugh.
Carmen said yes—and so Russell was able to use the summer break not only to relax but also to reach a personal milestone. The Mercedes driver also explained that he was actually able to largely disconnect from Formula 1 during the break. Especially given the tight title race, that likely wasn’t unimportant.
“Completely, to be honest,” Russell replied when asked if he was able to disconnect. “Especially with the second half of the season coming up, which will be very intense for all of us, I just wanted to enjoy these two weeks.” The first ten days of the break, however, were entirely dominated by the marriage proposal.
“I hope it brings a few tenths”
Could the engagement provide an extra boost on the track as well? Russell takes the question with humor. “I hope it brings a few tenths,” jokes the Mercedes driver. “Even Lando would get engaged if it brought a few tenths.”
The remark fits the current situation at Mercedes, as Russell needs a strong second half of the season after a difficult first half if he still wants to be a serious contender for the title.
Whether the personal news will actually lead to improved performance remains to be seen, of course. Russell himself doesn’t believe that his life has suddenly changed fundamentally because of the engagement.
“She’s been an important part of my life for so long”
For Russell, the engagement is more the next step in a relationship that has been with him for many years. Carmen Montero Mundt has long been a central figure in his life—and that’s exactly why the proposal hasn’t changed much for him just yet.
“Our private lives are so important to all of us,” Russell emphasizes. “We lead such hectic lives. The people we share them with are a very important part of that and experience these emotions with us.”
He’s been with Carmen for “a very long time.” That’s why the engagement is less about a radical turning point and more about taking the next step together. “I don’t think it changes much, because she’s been such an important person in my life for so long,” Russell explains. “It was simply about taking the next step that we needed to take.”
When asked about possible children, the Mercedes driver also had to respond. The journalists, however, gave him little time to dodge the question: “When will there be a baby?”
Russell’s answer came quickly: “Right to the point.” He then clarified: “Not anytime soon, I think. At least, I don’t know of anything. But sometime in the future, for sure.”