George Russell reveals what he finds so ‘inspiring’ about racing against Fernando Alonso this season

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Mercedes driver George Russell is proving why team principal Toto Wolff trusted him with leading the team during the 2025 Formula 1 season.

Very few drivers would be capable of stepping into the shoes of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton after he decided to switch from Mercedes to Ferrari.

However, before Hamilton had even departed, George Russell managed to finish ahead of the 40-year-old in the drivers’ championship.

Toto Wolff decided to pair Russell with Italian teenager Andrea Kimi Antonelli, and Mercedes currently sit second in the constructors’ championship as a result.

The driver on the grid at the opposite end of the experience spectrum is 43-year-old Aston Martin star Fernando Alonso.

Alonso was previously considered F1’s most unlucky driver at one point this season as he watched points finish after points finish slip away.

He still sits behind teammate Lance Stroll in the standings, but has since clinched back-to-back top 10 finishes, and despite being the oldest driver in the paddock, he’s showing no signs of slowing down.

Russell was recently speaking ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix, and Alonso came up in conversation, and the four-time race winner couldn’t help but praise his longevity and their relationship away from the track.

READ MORE: Mercedes driver George Russell’s life outside F1 from net worth to height

George Russell inspired by Fernando Alonso’s approach to Formula 1

Russell was asked in an interview by SoyMotor about his relationship with the Spanish drivers on the grid and said: “Clearly, I get along well with Spanish people, considering my girlfriend!

“Fernando, I have a very good relationship with Fernando. We’ve spent the last couple of New Year’s Eves together having a bit of a party, which was coincidental, and Carmen [Mundt] gets along very well with Fernando’s girlfriend as well.

“We have a close relationship, [and] we spend some time together outside of the races.

“This guy, he’s not slowing down, it’s so impressive to see Fernando continuously performing at such a high level, and that also gives me the inspiration for my future.

“When you see how he’s continuing to perform so well, and I spoke with some other athletes about this, and they told me, in your 20s, you sometimes feel you can get away with a lot of things.

“Your body recovers well, you can afford not to have your nine hours of sleep. But, if you don’t put the work in during your 20s, you’ll pay the price in your 30s and as you arrive to 40.

“This is what I’m seeing with the likes of Fernando, with the likes of Lewis, who really have always put so much effort in when they were younger, and this is why they’re continuing so well when they’re older than usual.”

READ MORE: Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso’s life outside F1 from net worth to Cars 2

How long will Aston Martin star Fernando Alonso be racing in Formula 1?

Alonso is currently the only driver in Formula 1 history to have started more than 400 Grand Prix and will reach the 425 race milestone at this season’s finale in Abu Dhabi.

It’s remarkable to see how competitive Alonso still is after all these years and is showing few signs of slowing down.

Alonso’s current contract expires at the end of 2026, and how Aston Martin perform at the beginning of the next set of regulations will have a huge say in how much longer he carries on for.

Juan Pablo Montoya has predicted Alonso will retire by 2027 at the latest, by which time he’ll be 46.

Russell has been linked with Aston Martin, and if, for some reason, he doesn’t sign a contract extension as expected at Mercedes, he could end up being the driver who ends Alonso’s career.

However, the 43-year-old is nowhere near the slowest drivers on the grid, and his manager, Flavio Briatore, may end up considering whether Alonso could help Alpine if Aston Martin decide against extending his stay in the paddock.