The excitement of the Canadian Grand Prix reached beyond the track this year, as local Montreal youth were treated to an inspirational event featuring Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula 1 driver George Russell, along with Quebec’s own Mikaël Grenier and Stevens Dorcelus. The event, part of Mercedes-Benz Canada’s Driving Your Future initiative, was designed to empower the next generation through motivational stories and valuable life lessons.
See also: New era of Formula 1: Sustainability, safety, and performance
A new vision for automotive retail
Hosted at the newly renovated Mercedes-Benz Silver Star facility, the event provided a sneak peek into the future of automotive retail. The state-of-the-art 36,000 square foot showroom on Decarie Blvd showcases the brand’s commitment to merging personal connections with advanced digital touchpoints. This facility will soon house the AMG Brand Centre, a 20,000 square foot dedicated space for the high-performance Mercedes-AMG brand, making it only the second in Canada and the eleventh globally.
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Driving your future: Inspiring the next generation
Mercedes-Benz Canada’s Driving Your Future initiative aims to empower Canadian youth through a partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters. CEO Andreas Tetzloff emphasized the importance of the event: “We are proud to partner with Big Brothers Big Sisters on Driving Your Future and to support initiatives that ignite the potential of Canada’s young people. By sharing their stories and experiences, we hope to empower young people to set positive goals and work toward achieving even brighter futures.”
George Russell: From dreams to reality
George Russell, who took center stage, shared his journey from aspiring racer to Formula 1 driver. He recalled the pivotal moment at 16 when he realized the need to actively pursue his dreams: “When I was at a young age, I thought I could just go out there, win races, and one day become a Formula One driver. It was only when I was 16 that I recognized I needed to make this happen for myself. Nobody’s just going to knock on my door. I’ve got to go and knock on their door.”
Russell’s proactive approach led him to email Toto Wolff, Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS’s team principal. “I sent an email to Toto when I was 16, saying I’d love to meet you one day, to just have a discussion about the future and get your advice on a few things. That’s when we had our first meeting. I had a PowerPoint presentation prepared of why I should be a driver for Mercedes and here we are ten years later.”
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Russell also highlighted the importance of mental health: “Talking with a professional was a real game changer for me. It not only helped with my performance on track but also just to live a happier life. We’re living this dream, going around 20 different countries, driving the fastest cars in the world in front of millions of fans, and you feel like you should be happy every single day. But sometimes you’re not, and you ask yourself, why is this? The body’s undertaking so much pressure that you go through, and it’s this emotional roller coaster. Since having that chance to talk with a professional, I’ve learned so much about myself and how to deal with these situations.”
When asked about advice for young people chasing their dreams, Russell shared: “The advice I would give to my younger self, and to any young individual aspiring to pursue their dreams, is to continue to work hard. You’ve got to put in that dedication. It doesn’t matter if you want to be a Formula One driver, a football player, or whatever it may be, you’ve got to keep on pursuing and never give up. Those core values go so far in life.”
Quebec’s Mikaël Grenier and Stevens Dorcelus also inspired the youth with their stories of perseverance and passion. Grenier, a Mercedes-AMG Performance Driver, emphasized the importance of passion and persistence: “Achieving my dream of being signed by Mercedes-AMG as a professional driver didn’t come easy. I hope sharing my story will encourage kids to identify what drives them. Success takes persistence, and that persistence comes more naturally when you care deeply about something.”
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Stevens Dorcelus, a former international track and field athlete turned reality TV star and influencer, spoke about the power of consistency: “No matter what you want to achieve, it’s the small positive choices you make each day that will add up to big results. Young people can make important choices today that can lead to very positive outcomes in the long-term.”
