F1 Driver George Russell Uses Disguise to Sneak into Crowd in Mexico GP Practice Video

Mercedes driver George Russell used a Lucha Libre mask to sneak into the crowd Friday during opening practice ahead of the Mexico City Grand Prix.

Formula 1 shared a video Friday of Russell donning his disguise before heading to the grandstand to watch Frederik Vesti drive his Mercedes W16 at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

"Haven't watched F1 cars on track in years, so found a way to sneak into the stands while Fred was driving my car," Russell captioned a selfie from the grandstand.

Vesti was making his fourth practice appearance for Mercedes as part of F1's rules mandating rookie practice drives. He previously made a 2023 debut in Mexico, a 2024 appearance in Abu Dhabi and a drive in Bahrain earlier this year.

Russell, who has won two Grand Prix races in 2025, has meanwhile established himself as one of the top drivers in F1 so far this season. He currently ranks behind only McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

Mercedes announced last week that both Russell and Kimi Antonelli had been signed to new deals that will keep them with the team through at least 2026.

Antonelli finished second in Friday's free practice, while Vesti finished FP1 in second place.

Russell is set to take back the wheel in FP2 before the Mexico City Grand Prix begins Sunday at 4 p.m. ET.