GEORGE RUSSELL has become a director on the board of the Grand Prix Drivers Association.
The Brit, 23, joins Sebastian Vettel and chairman Alex Wurz on the board, which was founded in 1961 to represent the drivers’ interests, particularly focusing on safety.
In recent years, the GPDA have been pivotal in driving improvements following Jules Bianchi’s fatal accident at Suzuka in 2014.
And while Russell has only just started his third season in F1, he is ready to make his voice heard.
He said: “I wanted to take on that role because I think what the GPDA has done over so many years has been great for the sport.
“Whenever we’ve had our debriefings between all of the drivers we’d stay after and talk about certain issues or ways we could improve the sport.
“I was always quite vocal, I always quite enjoyed putting my opinion forward, and I guess having a voice for the drivers is something I’m quite proud of.
“I guess Sebastian is sort of representing the older half of the grid; I’m potentially representing the younger half of the grid.”
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F1 2021 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info
Meanwhile, Alpine have rushed through developments ahead of this weekend’s Emilia-Romagna GP at Imola.
The team made a poor start to the season in Bahrain with Fernando Alonso forced to retire with overheating brakes caused by a stuck sandwich wrapper while Esteban Ocon was 13th.
The team’s executive director Marcin Budkowski said: “We have an aerodynamic upgrade package coming to the car for this Grand Prix.
“In addition, we have some test items to assess during Friday practice, which will help define further upgrades planned over the next few races.”
