“I guess it's the American way of doing things” - George Russell not a big fan of pre-race introductions at F1 Miami GP

Mercedes driver George Russell has said that he's not convinced about the pre-race introduction drivers got at the 2023 Miami GP on Sunday.

The Miami GP organisers hired American singer LL Cool J to introduce the drivers when they made their way to the grid. While it was certainly a spectacle, many drivers including George Russell and Max Verstappen were not fans of the showboating ahead of the main race.

Speaking with ESPN, the Briton said:

"It is distracting because, you know, we were on the grid for half an hour in all of our overalls in the sun. I don't think there's any other sports in the world that 30 minutes before you go out to do your business, you're out there in the sun, all the cameras on you, and making a bit of a show of it.

"We spoke about it as drivers on Friday night. Everybody's got different personalities. I guess it's the American way of doing things, doing sports. Personally, (it's) probably not for me. But you know, that's just my personal opinion."

Red Bull's reigning double world champion Max Verstappen agreed:

"I think this is a personality thing, right? Some people like to be more in the spotlight, some people don't. I personally don't so for me I think that naturally what they did today was not necessary, I prefer to just walk to my car, talk to my engineers, put the helmet on and drive. But, of course, I have to accept the entertainment value."

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"I am feeling pumped" - George Russell after his P4 finish in Miami

George Russell has said that he was feeling pumped after finishing just outside the podium in Miami. The Mercedes driver wasn't entirely confident about the car's performance throughout the weekend.

Speaking to Sky Sports, he said:

"I am feeling pumped, to be honest, because it has been a while since we had a good race like that where we made overtakes stick. The pace, relatively speaking, was strong, and I felt good in the car, so, for sure, it was a satisfying one.

"I would have liked to have been three positions higher, but we know the position we are in as a team right now, and P4 was the maximum today. It was a good day at the office, and we will sit down with everybody tomorrow to see how we can move from here."

Had he qualified a higher than P6, George Russell could have challenged for the podium.