F1 News: Fernando Alonso and George Russell shock fans with 2023 celebrations
Fernando Alonso and George Russell were clearly enjoying their 2023 new Year celebrations, as a chaotic image of the two drivers has been shared on social media.
The friendship between Alonso and Russell is relatively well-established in F1, with the young British driver expressing his admiration for the Spaniard as early as his Formula 3 days.
Russell and Alonso also battled in an intense fight at the Austrian GP, with the Double World Champion denying Russell a top-10 finish in his Williams machine.
Whilst the 24-year-old now has several podiums and a race victory to his name, his fight against Alonso for the final points position seemed - at the time - of extreme importance in his young career.
Plenty has changed in F1 since that battle, with George Russell making the long-awaited switch to Mercedes ahead of the 2022 season and Alonso joining Aston Martin for 2023.
Russell impressed the paddock with his performances against Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, proving capable of holding his own against the best drivers in Formula 1 at the front of the field.
Fernando Alonso, meanwhile, has successfully demonstrated his speed and ability to a new cohort of fans - driving at an exceptionally high level despite his age and extended spell outside of F1.
The Double World Champion will be eager to begin work with Aston Martin and their package for the 2023 season and push the team further up the field.
Russell, who serves as head of the GPDA (Grand Prix Drivers' Association), has expressed his excitement at the prospect of fighting for the Championship this year.
Despite finishing fourth in the standings and securing crucial points in 2022, Russell has made clear that failing to secure the Championship - no matter the context - is no cause for celebration.
With Mercedes reportedly confident in exploiting the potential of their aggressive sidepod concept, Russell will be excited about what could lie ahead this year.