Russell Guts It Out: Stomach Pain Can’t Stop Podium Run

Despite stomach cramps in Miami, George Russell fought through the pain to claim a hard-earned podium with clever tyre strategy.

George Russell revealed he was suffering from intense stomach cramps during the final laps of the Miami Grand Prix, pain so severe he could barely stand straight after crossing the finish line.

The Mercedes driver still managed to clinch his fourth podium of the season on Sunday, despite feeling off balance with the car all weekend at the Miami International Autodrome.

“I had horrible stomach cramps over the last 15 laps, I’m still in quite a bit of pain. I couldn’t even stand up straight after the race, it was that bad,” Russell admitted. He was excused from the usual post-race top-three press conference to be seen by a doctor.

“I need to figure out what went wrong. I did have a slightly bigger breakfast than usual, maybe that played a part.”

Mercedes later confirmed that Russell had recovered before flying out of Miami.

Russell’s race strategy played a key role in his podium finish. Starting on hard tyres, a bold move compared to his rivals on mediums, he extended his first stint until a well-timed Virtual Safety Car allowed him to pit and rejoin ahead of Max Verstappen and Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

“It felt like a big opportunity, we took a gamble with the strategy,” Russell explained. “You rarely see a top-five driver start on the hards, but we needed to do something different. The VSC timing worked in our favor, and I found some pace once Max and Kimi pitted. Suddenly I had three or four tenths back in the car.”

“Honestly, I’m really proud of this result. I haven’t been feeling great all weekend. I wasn’t comfortable, I wasn’t enjoying the driving, but we made it work when it mattered most.”