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.
