F1’s George Russell draws balance from a meme

With the 2022 F1 season winding down, it is a good moment to take stock of some of the season’s best moments. Moments such as Nicholas Latifi making a wrong turn during practice in Suzaka, Max Verstappen securing his second-straight F1 Championship after a slow start, or locking down the Constructors’ Cup the following race for Red Bull, breaking an eight-year run from Mercedes.

Or perhaps this incredible bit of in-car radio from last week down in Texas, as AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly made his way around the track during practice:

But perhaps the best moment of the season came this week, away from the track. With the circuit down in Mexico for Sunday’s Mexican Grand Prix, British GQ released an interview with Mercedes driver George Russell. In his first season driving for Mercedes, Russell sits fourth in the points, and is on pace for his best finish in his four years in an F1 seat, following three years racing for Williams.

During the wide-ranging interview, Russell talked about what he has learned in his first season with Mercedes, his goals for the rest of 2022 and beyond, and how he has matured over his four seasons on the F1 circuit.

He also shared some thoughts on this season in particular, and the “half-glass full, half-glass empty” viewpoint, referring to a “really nice artwork:”

It is a wonderful sentiment described here by Russell, about looking at all the positives from your journey and how you need to “look at the sunshine rather than looking in the shade.”

However ...

Anyone who has spent way too much time knows exactly the “artwork” Russell is describing.

The “Two Guys on a Bus” meme.

This is perhaps the perfect Russell moment, down to him describing it as a “really nice artwork.” It is so incredibly wholesome, and Russell is — as described to me by my good friend Michael Kist — so “gentlemanly British” that you cannot help but root for him.

So here’s hoping that Russell has a strong finish to the 2022 season, and achieves all the goals he sets out for himself in the interview with British GQ.

Because it could lead to more great moments like this one, and more references to memes in the future.