Lots of Formula 1 drivers—and team owners, of course—own yachts in the Med.

Fernando Alonso owns a large Sunreef catamaran. Charles Leclerc owns a Riva. Four-time world champion Max Verstappen has a Mangusta. And the bombastic Aston Martin Formula 1 team owner Lawrence Stroll just took delivery of his new, 263-foot Feadship Faith. So, I wasn’t surprised when I learned my interview with Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula 1 driver George Russell would take place onboard his new Pershing 6X in Capri last summer.

But, when I caught up with him on a quintessentially sun-kissed afternoon anchored off the Blue Grotto in Capri, I was surprised when he told me what he does to escape the stress and pressure of being a Formula 1 driver. He likes to freedive.

Now, for those of you who might not know, freedivers train to be able to descend to significant depths without external breathing equipment. Novice freedivers can usually learn to hold their breath for over two minutes and descend to over 65-feet, while professional freedivers can dive deeper than 328-feet and hold their breath for well over 10 minutes. That all seems like a pretty stressful way to relax to me!

“Funny enough,” he says as we relax the air-conditioned salon of his new Pershing in Capri, “I grew up in the countryside on a farm. When I was younger, boating or going to the ocean was never a consideration if we were even fortunate enough to go on holiday. In fact, we probably only went on three holidays over the course of 10 or 12 years. And they were never on a boat or to the ocean. We were more land people,” he says with a smile.

In fact, he didn’t get any real experience with boats or the ocean until he met his girlfriend, Carmen Mundt. “Carmen grew up around boats, and her family always loved the ocean. I was actually a bit petrified of the water when I was younger.

“But as soon as Carmen and I started going on boats together, I instantly felt at ease on the water. I loved how disconnected from the world outside I felt. And since racing is always so fast and hectic, I quickly learned that being on a boat and by the ocean was the only place I really could disconnect and recharge.”

I wasn’t surprised that he finds boats so relaxing. In fact, lots of F1 drivers, including Ferrari rival Charles Leclerc, have boats for the very same reason. But he freedives to relax?! Turns out Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 team principal Toto Wolff introduced Russell to freediving in Monaco.

“Did Toto introduce you to freediving to increase your mental toughness?” I ask.

“No, not at all” he says. “He knows how important it is for me to disconnect. “I love that you can’t think about anything but your breath and being fully present when you freedive. And spending time underwater, especially without any scuba tanks, is just so peaceful and beautiful.

“I like to dive to the bottom and just sit there and take in the surroundings. And the cool thing is, I push myself in every sport, except freediving. I don’t dive for mental toughness. I do it for mental health. I guess I could get competitive with it, but I don’t. The deepest I’ve gone is 23 meters. That’s not a big deal for an experienced freediver. But for a novice like me, I'm happy with that.

“I didn’t even know that yachting was something you could do when I grew up. But now I know I'm always happy when I'm on the water. And I can’t wait to get back.”