KUALA LUMPUR: From racing around Sepang on PlayStation as a youngster to finally taking on the real thing, George Russell is about to fulfil a childhood dream.
The Mercedes Formula One driver has always regarded the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) as one of his favourite virtual tracks, but he knows no amount of gaming can quite prepare him for the thrill of racing there for the first time at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia this weekend.
"This is our first time racing here in Sepang, and it was actually my favourite circuit as a kid when I used to drive on PlayStation," said Russell.
"So I’m sort of looking forward to being back here and hopefully, those experiences on the controller will help me go a bit faster this weekend."
However, the skies may look different to what he and six other drivers enjoyed in Langkawi, as the haze situation up north was less severe than in Klang Valley.
Russell and fellow drivers Lando Norris, Carlos Sainz, Oscar Piastri, Gabriel Bortoleto, Oliver Bearman, and Alex Albon took a short stop in Langkawi on their way to Kuala Lumpur.
"Langkawi was incredible. I love coming to Malaysia and we come numerous times a year," said Russell.
"Everyone at Petronas has always recommended that I visit the beautiful island of Langkawi, so we went with six other drivers and had a really amazing time."
Russell and the other 21 drivers on the grid will be racing under haze but the former added that with the Malaysian climate, it should make up for an interesting race.
"It’s the same for everybody, I guess. There’s always the challenge of the heat and humidity in Malaysia, but that’s the excitement of racing here and it’s the same for all."
However, with the team’s strong performance this season, the British driver believes they have the power to keep them fighting in the front.
"Compared to the drivers who have raced here in the past, I think we are very fortunate to have the best chassis and power unit beneath us, which should give us the advantage.
"But the competition is very tough and we saw it in the last race where our competitors were close, but I think we have a great opportunity to fight for pole and win this weekend."
Russell heads into the weekend after winning the Azerbaijan Grand Prix last week, finishing just ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar.
His Mercedes teammate and current championship leader Kimi Antonelli crossed the finish line in Baku in fifth.
