Mercedes ace George Russell has been advised by Formula 1 rival Max Verstappen to ease up on his intense training regime to make time for socialising with fellow drivers.
The three-time world champion playfully hinted that the Englishman's packed schedule might be keeping him from joining in on friendly gatherings, reports the Express.
Despite the fierce competition on the track, it's quite common for F1 drivers from different teams to mingle off the circuit. However, it seems Russell and Verstappen have found it hard to sync their calendars for some downtime together.
Verstappen isn't the only one noticing Russell's commitment to fitness; McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri also shared their observations.
In a chat with Canal+, Piastri remarked: "I've seen George post [online] a few times when he is in the gym," prompting Norris to chime in with a cheeky comment: "George is the guy who goes to the gym and makes sure he posts on Instagram 'Look I'm in the gym.'"
Inside the driver call which upset Red Bull and changed the course of F1 historyAdding to the friendly banter, Verstappen mentioned: "We have invited him many times to padel but sometimes his training schedule didn't allow him to go to padel." While Russell's social media does show his dedication to staying fit, Norris's comments suggest he might be overemphasizing his gym time online.
The Brit recently offered a glimpse of his personal life by posting a picture of himself posing with hands on his hips while Williams' Alex Albon humorously hung from rings in the background. Russell showed his playful side, captioning the photo cheekily: "Can't get away from this guy. . ."
Despite putting in hours of hard work and training, Russell's efforts haven't translated into a podium finish this season yet. His best performances have been two fifth-placed finishes in Monaco and Bahrain, placing him seventh in the driver's standings.
His team-mate Lewis Hamilton finds himself 12 points behind and one position below Russell as we approach halfway through the season. Their lacklustre performance has put Silver Arrows in fourth place in the constructor standings, with McLaren emerging as stiff competition for the top spots this year.
It is Verstappen who remains dominant in every aspect even after finishing sixth in Monte Carlo - his worst performance of the season. With five victories out of eight races this season, Verstappen is leading by 31 points against Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who recently broke his nearly two-year winless streak in Monaco.
As Russell nears a similar two-year milestone without a win, it appears he could benefit from switching up his training routine, perhaps taking some time away from the weights room and joining Verstappen for some padel practice.