George Russell explains to his girlfriend how he got a black eye: “This wouldn’t happen to Kimi Antonelli”

George Russell raced the Chinese Grand Prix with a black eye: the British driver shares with his girlfriend Carmen what happened, bringing his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli into the joke.

Russell finishes second in China with a black eye

On Sunday, George Russell finished second in the Chinese Grand Prix, behind the extraordinary Kimi Antonelli, while the Ferraris are now clearly the second-strongest team in the Formula 1 World Championship. The 28-year-old British driver competed with a black eye, the result of a painful bump. The story was recounted by Russell himself while being driven to the Shanghai circuit with his partner, Carmen Montero Mundt.

Russell tells Carmen what happened to his eye

In a video posted on social media, a voice off-camera—likely belonging to the person filming—asks George Russell if they can see his left eye. George responds: “I didn’t check this morning, is it still red or not? Has it gotten a bit better?”

“Now it’s a little purple,” his partner replies. The off-camera voice then asks: “What happened?”

“Actually, it must be that I’m getting older. I went to the bathroom at night, came back with the lights off, and walked straight into a wall. It happened a few days ago. So age is catching up,” Russell jokes, before throwing in a playful remark about his very young Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli: “I bet this wouldn’t happen to Kimi.”

Carmen bursts out laughing at the comment, sitting next to him. The couple has been together for a long time and share a strong bond—they’ve been dating since 2020. They first met in London at the beginning of that year and officially started dating shortly after, making their relationship public in September when Carmen posted their first photo together on Instagram. Their first public appearance as a couple came at the Tuscan Grand Prix at Mugello.

A solid relationship alongside Russell’s F1 career

The relationship has now lasted six years and remains very strong, growing in parallel with George Russell’s Formula 1 career (he was with Williams back in 2020).

George Russell’s ability to find humor in his own clumsy mishap highlights the relaxed yet focused atmosphere currently surrounding the Mercedes garage. While the Italian might have the advantage of youthful reflexes in the dark, the Briton continues to show that his veteran experience—and his ability to bounce back from literal walls—makes him a formidable contender in the 2026 title race.