When you finally get to F1 after years of hard work, the next step is to plan how to stay at the highest level for as long as possible, win races, and create history. Once one does that, what’s the one thing that one gets to do? It’s to party hard. And after two decades in the sport, if there’s anyone who has earned the right to do that, it’s Fernando Alonso.
Celebrated not just for his incredible racing talent but also for his longevity, Alonso is one of the biggest party animals on the grid. Don’t believe? Just ask George Russell.
Now our favourite New Year’s Eve tradition ❤️ pic.twitter.com/aurzLR4HWc
— Formula 1 (@F1) January 2, 2024
That’s something Andrea Kimi Antonelli took into account when revealing who his choice among current F1 drivers would be for taking to a party. The Italian driver was asked about the same in a recent interview, and he had to pick three.
Thankfully, two of his three choices appeared to have come together.
Antonelli referred to Alonso’s viral picture with Russell, posted on New Year’s Eve 2023, to conclude that the Spaniard would be the perfect choice. The image had taken the F1 community by storm, with fans loving the effortless, cool-headed energy the two drivers gave off.
“I saw a picture of him (Alonso) with George Russell in the disco not a long time ago,” the 18-year-old said. “And he looks like the right guy for me.”
kimi picking george, fernando and max as drivers he would invite to a dinner party pic.twitter.com/XshGnGFijb
— nini (@SCUDERIAFEMBOY) April 26, 2025
Antonelli then turned towards Russell, who was sitting in the same room away from the cameras, to explain why he would pick the two of them to accompany him. “I’ll take you two because you guys look dangerous, but good fun as well.”
Thankfully, they just looked ‘dangerous’ and didn’t do anything to endanger themselves or the others. The pair just created a moment that made a then-15-year-old Antonelli want to party with them when he got to F1.
As for his third choice, the Bologna-born driver picked four-time world champion Max Verstappen. Surprising? Not really.
The Dutchman parties hard, as evidenced by after-race activities following his maiden world championship triumph in 2021. Japanese newspaper Mainichi revealed that the drinks were flowing in the Red Bull team hotel all night long, courtesy of Verstappen.
Even when not involved in F1-related celebrations, Verstappen is known to be a fan of partying. He’s been spotted at nightclubs in cities like Monaco, Miami, and Las Vegas over the years. “He looks like a good one as well for parties,” Antonelli concluded.
