McLaren's recent update on X (Formerly known as Twitter) was trolled by rivals Mercedes, with a response featuring George Russell. McLaren shared an image of the sunset from their technology centre in working, and Mercedes trolled the Woking-based side about an aspect of the image.
The McLaren Technology Centre (MTC) first became operational in 2004. The design of the facility was futuristic and it was designed by Lord Norman Foster. Till date, the MTC is one of the most iconic headquarters of any team, featuring a man-made lake and wildfire surrounding the centre.
The Papaya team's official social media handle posted an image of a sunset from the McLaren Technology Centre with the man-made lake in view. The picture was captured from the inside, and one of the windows captured in the image featured an orange decale with the number 63 on it.
“Sunsets at the MTC hit different 🌅 #McLaren,” read the caption
The 63 likely signifies the year (1963) when McLaren was founded by Bruce McLaren. However, people in the comments connected it with George Russell's racing number (#63) and joked about the signing of a British racer for the Papaya team, and were also referencing the meme about the Mercedes star.
Mercedes' official X account trolled McLaren and replied to the post by sharing an edited version of the sunset image. The Silver Arrows put a translucent George Russell cutout in one of the windows, making it look as if the Briton was smiling from the sky after looking at the 63 decal.
Former F1 boss appreciates Mercedes star as a "potential world champion"
George Russell has taken over as the lead Mercedes racer since Lewis Hamilton left for Ferrari. Even when the seven-time F1 champion was at Mercedes, Russell was outperforming him. Former Haas F1 boss Guenther Steiner recently came out and praised Russell as a potential F1 champion.
“I see George as a potential world champion if he gets in the right car. I mean, it’s always the same old story. You need to be in the right place at the right time and have the best car, or one of the best cars to be able to be a world champion. Everything needs to come together. But will he be a dominating world champion, like for example, Max Verstappen could be? Maybe not,” said Guenther Steiner (via Sportsmole)
"But in the right car, George will hold his own and can win a championship. He’s a very good driver. I respect George a lot,” he added
With Mercedes believed to be somewhat ahead of its competitors in the power unit development race for 2026, George Russell might have a shot at the F1 title next year.