George Russell made positive inroads despite encountering warmup issues on a rainy Friday at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, completing consistent running for ROKiT Williams Racing.

Taking to the track in the opening practice session of the weekend, George returned to a circuit that he is familiar with for the first time since September having driven Formula One machinery before in Sao Paulo, making his maiden practice appearance on the circuit in 2017.

Completing consistent running in treacherous conditions that claimed a number of victims including Red Bull Racing’s Alexander Albon, George ended FP1 with the 11th fastest time, completing 18 laps of the 4.309km-long venue.

Building upon this experience, George bettered his previous best lap time in drying conditions in FP2, improving by 6.961s to secure a personal best lap time of a 1:11.818 despite struggling with tyre temperatures, completing a total of 54 tours of the circuit over the course of Friday.
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George Russell - ROKiT Williams Racing Driver

“It wasn’t the best day. We were struggling with the temperature to get the tyres working and it was very tricky out there. If we get the tyres in the window, I think the lap time will improve quite dramatically. Hopefully with higher temperatures and a bit more grip, it should come towards us. We’ve definitely got work to do tonight and let’s see what we can do for tomorrow.”

With one final hour of practice remaining on Saturday, George will deploy all of his experience in qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix ahead of Sunday’s race.

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Photographs Courtesy of XPB Images

Additional Press Content Courtesy of ROKiT Williams Racing

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