George Russell showed just how much of a team player he is at the Austrian Grand Prix after requesting water for the Mercedes mechanics in what was a scorching Sunday race day. The 27-year-old was already in his car at Spielberg on what was a boiling day that saw temperatures reach 30 degrees.

Prior to the race starting, fans managed to catch Russell's radio plea for his mechanics as he told the team: "Make sure there's plenty of waters for the mechanics. Everyone's dripping." The Brit's consideration for his colleagues while having to be focused on the race - which came two weeks after his victory at the Canadian Grand Prix - demonstrates the care the Formula One star retains for his team.

Russell has long been considered as one of the more likeable and polite drivers on the grid but he certainly has a reputation for being a tough individual to work with, but in the best way, according to former Williams CEO Jost Capito.

Before signing for Mercedes in 2022, Russell got his start in F1 at the Grove-based team and Capito admitted that the Brit's demanding nature will steer him well in his quest for a world championship.

"It makes it not easy to work with him because he demands a lot," Capito stated. "But I love the drivers who demand a lot and really challenge the team and are never happy, because those are the guys that will be World Champions in the future."

Russell - who finished fifth on Sunday - was described as a "lovely guy" by author Matt Whyman who spelled the differences between him and former Silver Arrows team-mate Lewis Hamilton.

Having written a book about Mercedes behind the scenes in 2024, Whyman told the Mirror: "George is a lovely guy. I think he is very, very smart, very switched on, very driven. Where George is very prescriptive and very lyrical and describes things in a very accurate way, Lewis is much more emotional about his description of what is going on with the car.

"It is how he feels - is he happy with this, is he not happy with this? It is very interesting listening to the difference between them, yet they both provide this raft of information."

For the latest breaking stories and headlines, sign up to our Daily Express F1 newsletter, or join our WhatsApp community here.

The heat on Sunday played a part in what was a disappointing finish for Russell who has already claimed five podiums this season.

Following the race, he explained that Mercedes' lack of pace was due to the car remaining sensitive to high temperature with the issue failing to be fixed despite several attempts.

Finishing over a minute behind race winner Lando Norris, Russell said to the media: "I was expecting a bad race and it was worse than I even could imagine. The problems are so clear.

"Coming off the back of Canada with the win with no tyre overheating, [where] we were the quickest. But as soon as you get to a track where there's a bit of overheating, we drop off so much. The team have been working so hard for six months now to try and solve this issue. We've got ideas, but we're not really making major headways right now."