Man Utd spotted with F1 gear that rivals 'made fun of' George Russell for using

Manchester United have been spotted trying out the adidas 'space jackets' that George Russell and Kimi Antonelli have been using this season. The eye-catching garments are meant to keep the drivers cool during hot race weekends, maintaining an optimal body temperature between track sessions.

During a training session ahead of United's Summer Series clash with West Ham at the MetLife Stadium, lead performance coach Charlie Owen and head of physical performance Ed Leng were spotted donning the jackets while talking to players. According to a report from BBC Sport, Ruben Amorim's squad will wear the jackets after the warm-up and at half-time throughout their three Summer Series fixtures in the United States.

Russell and Antonelli turned heads with the garments at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, and now the innovative wearable tech is making its way to some of adidas' other sporting enterprises.

Speaking at adidas' flagship store in London ahead of the British Grand Prix, Russell revealed that some of his fellow F1 stars had made some harsh comments about the flashy silver jackets.

"They are making fun of us because they're jealous, it's as simple as that," the four-time Grand Prix winner explained. "F1 is a unique sport. Right before racing, we're standing on the grid, we've got cameras in our faces, people coming up for interviews.

"And it's so hot sometimes when you're in your race suit... you're melting. We all wear ice vests, but you stand in the sun for five minutes and they're melted. The space jacket's got a fan in it, so it keeps me ice cool and feeling fresh."

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Russell also offered an insight into how the jackets work. Using adidas' CLIMACOOL System technology, cooling agents, internal fans, and special insulating materials, they can allegedly "almost double the impact of wearing only a cooling or ice vest on skin and core temperature," according to the German clothing brand.

"They aren't space jackets," Russell explained in Saudi Arabia. "They are to help us cool down. For all of the drivers, it wasn't so much the case in Bahrain, but when we stand on the grid ahead of the national anthem, we're in direct sunlight in our fireproofs, which are designed to keep the fire away.

"They're not exactly the thinnest and most breathable of material, and the fan jacket is sort of designed to keep the ice cool that we've got on [as well] because often you wear your ice vest, but when you're in 30 degrees of sunlight, that ice doesn't last for very long. We're looking for these marginal gains and pushing the boundaries."