"Had a need for speed" - Roger Federer attends Spanish GP qualifying, poses with Lewis Hamilton & George Russell

20-time Major champion Roger Federer surprised his fans on Saturday by attending the qualifying session of the 2022 Spanish Grand Prix in Formula One. He posed with Mercedes racers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell and also appeared right beside team principal Toto Wolff while the qualifying session was underway.

Federer's presence at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya was largely reserved for the Mercedes camp, for whom he is a brand ambassador.

The Swiss posted a few images of his trip on Twitter, and wished Hamilton and Russell good luck for Sunday's main race in his caption.

"I had a need for speed. Good Luck tomorrow @LewisHamilton, @GeorgeRussell63 @MercedesAMGF1," the Swiss tweeted.

The Mercedes F1 Instagram account posted a photo of Federer posing with Hamilton and Russell with the following caption:

"Here's the @lewishamilton, @rogerfederer and @georgerussell63 content you ordered. Great to have you with us for Quali, Roger!"

Motorsport journalist Pete Leung joked that Mercedes had got themselves a new principal owner, given how the Swiss maestro posed with the traditional communication headphones while the qualifying race was underway.

"Looks like @MercedesAMGF1 have themselves a new team principal this weekend," he said.

Interestingly, Federer was also captured alongside Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.

George Russell and Lewis Hamilton finished 4th and 6th respectively during qualifying and will start Sunday's main race from those positions. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc finished in the top spot, with teammate Carlos Sainz occupying the third position. Red Bull's Max Verstappen finished second, while teammate Sergio Perez finished fifth.

"I'm ready to give it my all again" - Roger Federer

Roger Federer at The Championships - Wimbledon 2021

Roger Federer provided an update on his comeback in a recent interview with Caminada, asserting his desire to "hit the ground running" when he returns to the sport later this year.

The 20-time Major champion, who will turn 41 this August, has been on the sidelines since injuring his knee during last year's grass season. He eventually underwent a third surgery on his right knee and has since been undergoing rehabilitation and fitness training.

"I'm ready to give it my all again," Federer said. "I feel like a racehorse scratching its stall and wanting to race. In the summer I hope to be able to hit the ground running. I'm looking forward to coming home in the evening after a hard day's training and being completely exhausted."

Roger Federer will participate in this year's Laver Cup in September and at the Swiss Indoors in October, but his exact comeback date remains unknown.