George Russell Concealed Wrist Injury from Mercedes’ Toto Wolff Following Summer Accident
George Russell has revealed that he kept a wrist injury hidden from Mercedes’ team principal, Toto Wolff, following a summer accident.
Russell is currently gearing up for the Qatar Grand Prix as Mercedes’ second driver, alongside Lewis Hamilton. However, during his four-week summer break, he embarked on some adventurous activities.
Similar to many Formula 1 drivers, the 25-year-old Brit enjoys thrilling experiences. During his summer break, he traveled to Spain and tried his hand at foilboarding, a water sport. Unfortunately, things didn’t go smoothly, but Russell opted not to inform Wolff, who was nursing his own injury from a mountain biking mishap.
“Toto is someone who participates in a lot of activities,” Russell shared on the Beyond The Grid podcast. “He kind of lets Lewis get away with it, but when it comes to me… [laughs]. I had this change in mentality where I can’t wrap myself in bubble wrap. I know my limits and boundaries. I find my thrill on the racetrack.
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“But in short, I was learning to foilboard in Spain, and on my first day, I fell off, cut my wrist, and got a bit of a gash. I didn’t inform Toto, but he had just sent me a photo of a broken bone while on vacation!”
Due to their F1 responsibilities, drivers must exercise caution in their leisure time. Nonetheless, Russell openly shared his summer break adventures on social media.
His posts featured him foilboarding above the water, with a caption that read: “Exploring new experiences is always fun. I’ve never been too comfortable in water, but I enjoyed pushing my limits outside of my comfort zone. A few minor bruises later, and we’re good to go!”
He later explained, “It was good to diversify and try new things. Historically, I’ve avoided engaging in additional sports during the season to avoid the risk of injury.
“But I felt like I wanted to try something new and keep my senses sharp. Foiling came with a few injuries along the way. It’s fully healed now, and I’m looking forward to the weekend.
“When you fall off a foilboard… there are a lot of videos I didn’t post – big falls. But I really enjoyed it. I think for many of us, after being intensely focused throughout the year, two full weeks of doing nothing can get a bit boring. So, engaging in some activities was quite fulfilling. I made some progress and didn’t fall off by the end of the trip.”
