Source :- THE AGE NEWS
Kim Keedle had just left the stage at a business conference in Melbourne when he got the call. Mercedes’ Formula 1 team needed him.
The high-performance coach and physiotherapist had been part of Oscar Piastri’s team for years, helping the Australian move into the highest level of motor sport, before retiring from the paddock at the end of 2024 to set up back home in Melbourne.
Australian Kim Keedle with 2026 Melbourne Grand Prix winner George Russell of Mercedes.
But when Mercedes put out an SOS call with George Russell’s trainer stuck in Qatar due to the war in the Middle East, it was difficult to resist.
“George’s manager reached out to me just saying, ‘Hey, are you in Melbourne? George’s trainer has been caught in Qatar, and more than likely isn’t going to be able to get to the race, so if you could be on standby for us, that would be great’,” Keedle said.
Before saying yes, Keedle wanted to make sure Piastri didn’t have any issues with him helping a rival.
“He [Piastri] came back and said no, that’s fine, go ahead,” Keedle said. “It’s a pretty small industry, right, so sometimes if you’ve got someone that’s trapped in the Middle East, everyone’s willing to help out.
“I was lucky that I knew George from around the circuit; you get to know the drivers as you go. So, we already had a bit of a relationship, so it was quite nice just to be able to come in and slot into his inner sanctum, or his small team, come Thursday.”
As Russell’s interim coach, Keedle was responsible for helping with his physical warm-up, mental preparation and making sure he went through the motions before practice, qualifying, and the race.
It was all worth it when Russell claimed the season-opener in Melbourne on a day of drama.
“It was a great experience. They made me very welcome, both him [Russell] personally and the team, and on a weird note, it’s kind of my home Grand Prix, so in that regards, getting to experience a win with George was unbelievable,” Keedle said.
“At the same time, and I don’t mean to sound disrespectful saying this at all, but the wins with Oscar probably meant more because I spent a lot more time investing in Oscar. I worked with him for four years. My wins with him will always be very, very memorable, and all my experiences with him will be very memorable, but at the same time, as a one-off weekend, this was also very good.”
Russell heads to the second race of the year in China this weekend as the championship favourite, with teammate Kimi Antonelli close in tow after claiming second in Melbourne.
“He’s very professional, leaves no stone unturned in their preparation,” Keedle said of Russell’s approach to Formula 1.
“But I think also, they know that this is a great chance for them this season to win a world championship, so they’re going after it pretty strongly.”
