Lewis Hamilton challenges Mercedes team-mate George Russell to a SKYDIVE after taking him surfing

Lewis Hamilton has vowed to take Formula One team-mate George Russell skydiving after going surfing together in Australia.

British pair Hamilton and Russell, who drive for Mercedes – last year’s constructors’ world championship winners – went surfing together in Melbourne after last weekend’s Grand Prix in the southern city.

And daredevil seven-time world champion Hamilton tweeted a picture of the pair after surfing, with an advanced board and Russell with a massive foamy beginner’s board, saying: ‘Next up: getting @GeorgeRussell63 to skydive’. 

Lewis Hamilton (right) vowed to take George Russell (left) skydiving after taking him surfing

Russell joined Hamilton at F1 team Mercedes this season and they appear to be getting on well

Hamilton had posted the same photo on Instagram to his 27.6million followers with the caption: ‘Got in as much surfing as I could in Melbourne. 

‘It’s so good for training, I’m trying to get the whole team on boards, so far I got @georgerussell63. He’s… getting there’. The post has already been liked more than 900,000 times.

Russell, who joined Hamilton at Mercedes following an impressive season at Williams and after Valtteri Bottas’ exit, is a talented and ambitious driver and both he and Mercedes have insisted he is not there to play second fiddle to his team-mate.

That led to speculation the pair might view each other as rivals on track, but Hamilton appears to be genuinely making friends with Russell and spending time with him outside of racing. 

Russell finished third at the Melbourne GP last weekend, his first podium for his new team

Daredevil seven-time world champion Hamilton went skydiving in Dubai last week (pictured)

Russell grabbed his first podium in Melbourne, finishing third with Hamilton in fourth, taking him to second in the drivers’ standings behind Charles Leclerc and Mercedes to second in the constructors’ standings, ahead of rivals Red Bull. 

Last week Hamilton posted an Instagram video of his latest skydive in Dubai, showing him jumping out of the sky and falling through the air for more than 30 seconds.

The video had the caption: ‘Had the best day yesterday. A very ideal way to spend a Sunday. I’ve been sky diving for a couple years now but naturally through the pandemic I didn’t get to go. 

‘Got 10 jumps in, learned something new each time. It’s such a great way to clear the mind, recentre and refocus on the week ahead. #dubai’.