George Russell recreates iconic "Tokyo Drift" scene in Mercedes Japanese GP shoot

George Russell channelled his inner Han Lue in a The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift-inspired shoot ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix.

The Briton did the iconic pose as he leaned against a Mercedes AMG GT 63, sporting the wolf-inspired livery that will be on the Brackley outfit’s Formula 1 cars at this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix.

“Georgie understood the assignment,” one fan commented, while another added: “Respect for the social media admin, you guys are fast.”

The pose became an iconic moment from the third instalment of the Fast and Furious franchise when Lue, portrayed by Sung Kang, leans against his Mazda RX-7 boasting a Fortune bodykit by Japanese tuner VeilSide. Here, he waits for Sean Boswell, played by Lucas Black, outside his school before the pair set off to earn money to pay for the Nissan Silvia S15 Spec-R he wrote off in a drift race.

“Absolutely missed a trick here not filming Kimi coming round the corner to find GR like this,” another fan wrote, and someone else commented: “Now someone please ask AI to put Max walking out of the school only to see this.”

Mercedes has had a dominant start to the 2026 season, winning both the Australian and Chinese Grands Prix as well as the Chinese sprint race.

“We have made a positive start to the season, but it is only that,” team chief Toto Wolff said ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix. “In both Australia and China, we had several close calls that could have ended our weekend.

“These cars are new and fragile; we were fortunate that none of the issues we faced severely compromised our results. We have work to do to make sure that continues to be the case.

Mercedes Japanese GP livery

Photo by: Mercedes GP Petronas Formula One Team

“The grid is also learning so much every time we take to the track. Each weekend brings a new set of challenges, and we are focused on completing our work, and looking to improve.

“We know that the moment you think you’ve got this sport figured out, you are usually proven wrong. That is as true for Kimi as it is for the team. His win in China was a great achievement and a moment to be proud of.

“However, his focus and ours are on what is ahead. His first victory is a first step and all that matters is how he builds on it. We will support him to navigate the expectations that come with performing at the front more consistently.”

Photos from Japanese GP – Thursday