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SEPANG – One went island-hopping with the F1 boys, while the other went flying down water slides.
George Russell and Kimi Antonelli may be locked in a serious Formula One (F1) championship battle, but their Malaysian adventures ahead of this weekend’s race suggest the Mercedes-AMG Petronas duo have not forgotten how to have a little fun.
Antonelli has already sampled Malaysia’s adrenaline before getting anywhere near the Sepang International Circuit, spending some downtime at SplashMania WaterPark in Gamuda Cove.
The 20-year-old Italian shared a glimpse of his pre-race adventure, describing it as “pre-weekend shenanigans” as he took on the slides before swapping swimwear for race gear.
He also shared his experience with Malaysian media.
“I had a lot of fun. It was also, you know, very few people, so I could go on the slide repeatedly. I did the same slide five times in like three minutes. I was just running up and down. It was good.
“And then, other than that, I’ve been here in Malaysia, I’ve been going around the city. It was really cool to see KL in general,” he said.
But there was one important part of the Malaysian experience Antonelli had yet to complete – trying the local food.
“Didn’t try any traditional food (yet)… maybe after the weekend,” he said.
Russell was quick to offer a suggestion during the press conference.
“Have you tried roti (canai)?
“No,” came Antonelli’s immediate reply.
“I had some roti,” Russell said.
And when Antonelli asked the most important follow-up – “Is it good?” – Russell delivered the kind of endorsement Malaysian mamaks would appreciate.
“Very good. I like it,” he said.
For Antonelli, the mission now seems clear – race at Sepang, survive the Malaysian heat and humidity, and find some roti canai.
While Antonelli was getting his adrenaline fix at SplashMania, Russell took a rather different route to unwind before the race weekend.
The 28-year-old Briton and several fellow drivers were spotted enjoying some downtime in Langkawi before heading to Sepang.
The group included Alex Albon, Ollie Bearman, Carlos Sainz, Oscar Piastri and Gabriel Bortoleto, with the drivers making the most of their island escape by playing golf and going go-karting.
Because apparently there is no such thing as taking a break from racing when your hobby is also racing.
The karting session even turned into a mini F1 qualifying session, with Russell setting the quickest time among the drivers, ahead of former F1 racer Roberto Merhi, Sainz, Albon, Bearman, Bortoleto and Piastri.
For all the holiday fun, the reality is that both Mercedes drivers have a serious weekend ahead.
Russell and Antonelli will be racing at Sepang in a F1 car for the first time, while Malaysia’s heat, humidity and unpredictable weather could make the return to the circuit even more demanding.
Russell said the conditions would be a challenge, particularly if rain arrives, with the current-generation cars having little experience running on wet tyres at the circuit.
