George Russell during qualifying session at F1 Grand Prix of Miami
At the recently concluded third outing at the Miami Grand Prix, Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 driver George Russell took his compatriot and popular singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran for a spin in a high-performance Mercedes-AMG GT supercar.
This collaboration was done under the F1 Pirelli Hot Laps program, which gives ordinary people and VIPs a chance to experience the racetrack flat-out in a supercar, driven by a Formula 1 driver.
As before, the entire event was recorded for Sheeran’s reactions throughout the lap.
Watch the video below:
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As seen in the video posted by the Mercedes F1 team on their X (formerly Twitter) account, the singer felt overwhelmed during the entire lap. His reactions were a mixture of both excitement and fear.
Although Sheeran looked a bit overwhelmed by the overall experience, he still managed to muster the courage and ask:
“How do you (Russell) do this at like 200mph?”
To this, Russel casually replied:
“130, 140 (miles per hour)”
The clip ends with the singer showing excitement and gratitude to the Norfolk-based driver for the experience of a lifetime.
More about the Pirelli Hot Laps program
The Hot Laps program is an initiative between Italian tire manufacturer Pirelli and Formula 1 to increase the popularity and engagement with fans and celebrities around the world.
It provides an opportunity for ordinary people to experience the racetrack with a Grand Prix driver (current or retired) behind the wheels of supercars from Mercedes-AMG, Aston-Martin, or McLaren.
When launched in 2018, Pirelli’s head of car racing Mario Isola said (via F1i.com):
“Pirelli is proud and delighted to be exclusive partner of the F1 Hot Laps 2018 programme: the first ongoing experience designed specifically for fans to sample the speed and emotion of on- the-limit driving from the inside, on actual circuits used during each grand prix weekend,”
Since then, icons such as Roger Federer, Usain Bolt, Millie Bobby Brown, Michelle Rodriguez, and others have been a part of this unique experience.
At the recently concluded Miami GP, F1 drivers Lewis Hamilton, George Russell, and Mika Hakkinen took to the wheel, driving the likes of Kendall Jenner, Ed Sheeran, and Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh around the Miami Autodrome at full speed.
The next session of this high-speed initiative is set to happen at Silverstone GP, one of the most well-known racetracks, located in Northamptonshire, England on July 7th, 2024.
