Russell Is Launching His Own Driver Academy

George Russell is putting the finishing touches on a driver academy of his own, with further details to be made available 12 November. As for the specifics of what categories it will encompass, the ages it will accept or its funding, nothing has been put out there and Russell has not said anything in public other than to give the date.

It is no longer an oddity for drivers to have their own junior programmes. The set up can be anything from a management firm putting drivers into teams already in place to underwriting seats in karting and junior single-seaters. It is an important distinction for the families involved. A programme that covers the cost of a season takes away the obstacle which would otherwise put an end to most careers in their infancy, and that is not on a par with merely putting one’s name to a driver whose expenses are being met by another.

Russell is in good position to put together the former type. Having made his way through the Mercedes junior ranks to claim the GP3 and Formula 2 crowns en route to F1 and three seasons at the head of the grid, he has the credentials. Thursday should make plain what the academy is about.