George Russell drives car that made Stirling Moss a Formula 1 winner ahead of British GP

George Russell has driven the 1955 British Grand Prix-winning Mercedes Formula 1 car in the lead-up to this year’s race at the iconic Silverstone circuit.

Sir Stirling Moss clinched the victory of the 1955 British Grand Prix in the W196, becoming the first English driver to stand on the top step of the podium at the event. In honour of its legacy, the Brackley outfit took the W196 to Aintree where Russell got behind the wheel.

Russell shared the moment on social media. “WOW! Such an immense privilege to drive the Mercedes-Benz W196 at Aintree!!! This car represents so much to the Mercedes heritage,” the 27-year-old driver wrote.

“Sir Stirling Moss and Mercedes won their first ever British GP at this very track in 1955 and as they say, the rest is history. The handling, the raw speed, the sounds and the feel of taking the W196 around the corners of Aintree as Stirling did himself felt so special.

“A massive thank you to the team and everyone involved in making this happen. It really is a moment I won’t ever forget. I can’t think of anything more special to do ahead of the British GP.”

While Silverstone has long been the home of the British Grand Prix, between 1955 and 1962 the event alternated between Silverstone and Aintree, beginning with the latter. The event in Liverpool saw Sir Stirling Moss lead a dominant race for Mercedes, taking his first F1 win at the event. Moss also secured the pole position and fastest lap that weekend. 

He was joined on the podium by fellow Mercedes drivers, Juan Manuel Fangio and Karl Kling in second and third, respectively. It was the last all-Mercedes-powered podium finish until the 2014 Italian Grand Prix, when Lewis Hamilton won the race and was joined by his team-mate Nico Rosberg in second and Felipe Massa in the Mercedes-powered Williams in third.

The 2025 British Grand Prix is set for this weekend, 4-6 July. Heading into the weekend, Russell sits fourth in the drivers’ standings with 146 points, 70 points behind the championship leader Oscar Piastri.