George Russel🧸l says he feels a “bit of duty” to provide entertainment for Fo✃rmula 1 fans by competing in online sim races during the coronavirus-related hiatus.

The Williams driver has taken part in a number of Esports series amid a suspension to the 2020 F1 season due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, including in 🔯three of F1’s four official Virtual Grand Prix rounds.

Russell secured his best result to date with a second-placꦉe finish behind Red Bull’s Alex Albon in a thrilling Virtual GP at Interlagos on Sunday evening. Russell, Albon, Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris have been the most active online racers during the enforced break.

“I feel a bit of duty as such to provide a bit of en🍌tertainment for the F1 f🍸ans,” Russell told the F1 Nation Podcast.

“We’ve got these amazing, loyal fans out there who have nothing to support and if we can provide a bit of en♚tertainment with Esports stuff or anything we are doing online with streaming and they appreciate and e🌄njoy it, then that’s great.”

And Russe𝓡ll says competing in Esports has altered the relationship with his fellow F1 drivers for the better during a ꦑrare move away from their usual competitive nature as rivals on real-world tracks.

“There are✨ about six of us, myself, Charles, Alex, Lando, Nicholas [Latifi] and Antonio [Giovinazzi], our relationship has grown a little since Esports has come along, especially myself, Alex and Charles,” he explained.

“We’ve always been friends but we’re talking everyday at the moment. It’s a different dynamic from being competitors. Me and Alex are best mates so it’s always been different with me and h🦄im.

“But for the rest of us, we’re obviously competitors so it’s not normall🐈y natural to have this sort of relationship with these guys, but it’s been good.”