Ahead of this weekend’s British Grand Prix, Briton Russell and his rookie Italian teammate Antonelli got the chance to sample a track of a different kind, driving something at the opposite end of the spectrum to the W14.
In a promotional video, the pair get behind the wheel of the Ineos Grenadier, the off-roader inspired by the original Land Rover Defender, but refined with modern technology.
The pair drive the 4x4s at speed through an off-road park, with Russell in the Grenadier Quartermaster dual-cab ute, while Antonelli finds himself in the Station Wagon SUV.
Is this the best ute on sale today?
There is of course some irony behind the video. While Ineos - technically the petrochemical portion of it - is a principal partner of the Mercedes-AMG F1 team, Ineos Automotive relies on BMW for the engines in its Grenadiers.
The Grenadier is powered by a choice of two turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six engines: one petrol, one diesel. Both are mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission (supplied by ZF), as well as a permanent four-wheel drive system with a two-speed transfer case.
In Australia, the Grenadier is available in the aforementioned Quartermaster, five-seat Station Wagon and also two-seat Utility Wagon commercial guise.
Each body style is sold in base self-named, Fieldmaster and Trialmaster variants, while the Station Wagon gets a special ‘1924’ edition.
