Motor racing-Russell dons Lucha Libre mask to watch F1 practice anonymously

By Angelica Medina

MEXICO CITY, Oct 24 (Reuters) - George Russell traded his Mercedes cockpit for a wrestling mask on Friday, sneaking into the Mexican Grand Prix stands disguised as a Lucha Libre wrestler to watch practice from the crowd.

The British driver took advantage of sitting out the opening practice session at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez to do something rather unusual: blend in anonymously with Mexican supporters as reserve driver Fred Vesti took his place behind the wheel.

Russell borrowed the traditional Mexican wrestler mask to pull off his undercover mission, going unnoticed to watch the session unfold.

"Haven't watched F1 cars on track in years, so found a way to sneak into the stands while Fred was driving my car," Russell posted on Instagram, revealing his creative solution to being a spectator for once.

The Mercedes driver was one of nine regular drivers who sat out the first session, replaced by rookies and reserves as part of regulations obliging teams to provide track time in four practice sessions per season.

Russell, who has secured eight podiums and two wins throughout the season, currently sits fourth in the championship standings with 252 points.

His mask-wearing escapade provided a rare opportunity to experience Formula One from a fan's perspective rather than from inside the cockpit.