NEED TO KNOW
George Russell marked his 150th Formula 1 race at the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix on Nov. 22The Mercedes driver spoke with PEOPLE exclusively about the career milestone while on the red carpetRussell joined Mercedes in 2022 after making his F1 debut with Williams Racing in 2019
George Russell is on the fast track.
The 2025 Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix was a significant milestone for the 27-year-old professional F1 driver, who marked his 150th career race in the international motor racing event on Saturday, Nov. 22.
Ahead of the race, Russell — who races alongside teammate Kimi Antonelli for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team — spoke with PEOPLE exclusively on the red carpet about the exciting feat and what it means to him.
“I didn’t think too much about it prior to this weekend, but there’s an amazing opportunity to look back on everything we’ve accomplished until this moment and what I want to accomplish in my next 150,” Russell says.
George Russell speaks with PEOPLE exclusively at the 2025 Formula 1 Heineken Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Stephanie Tacy/NurPhoto via Getty
The British racing driver, who won two Grand Prix races this season, the Canadian and Singapore Grands Prix, then told PEOPLE what he considers the breakfast of champions, having held the title several times the past.
“I’ve not had breakfast yet, so I’ve only woken up about three hours ago,” he shared on the carpet around 3 p.m. “Obviously being a night race I like to stay in the same schedule every single race I race at, so it doesn’t matter if the race is are 3 o’clock or at 8 o’clock.”
George Russell at the 2025 Formula 1 Heineken Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty
“I always sort of adjust my body clock, so I’m going to get some breakfast now,” he says, referencing to the constantly changing time zones he has to cope with as a Formula 1 driver.
The 2025 Formula 1 season consists of 24 total race weekends that span several different countries across six continents, and drivers are traveling nearly every weekend beginning with the Australia Grand Prix in March to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December.
Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing was named champion of the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix this year, marking the second consecutive time he won the event. Lando Norris of McLaren placed second, and Russell placed third.
George Russell at the 2025 Formula 1 Heineken Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Jayce Illman/Getty
However, news broke the day after the Grand Prix that Norris and his teammate Oscar Piastri were disqualified from Las Vegas Grand Prix after McLaren’s vehicles failed post-race inspection. Both their cars were found not to comply with technical regulations, per Formula 1.
Russell, therefore, advanced to second place and his teammate Antonelli was promoted to third.