George Russell on Growing Into His Personal Style

George Russell isn't your typical fashion person. He didn't grow up interested in style, reading up on designers, or spending his off time tearing through vintage stores across the UK. According to the British Mercedes-AMG Petronas driver, before he entered Formula One in 2019, it never even occurred to him to care about fashion. "I grew up in a very small village with not many people around," he tells me over Zoom during an IWC Schaffhausen event celebrating the custom racing suit the timekeeper designed for Russell and his teammate, Kimi Antonelli, for the United States Grand Prix in Austin. "We lived in the country, so fashion was not even thought of." Driving in modern-day F1, though, has a way of bringing out style in people. Six years into his career in the pinnacle of motorsport, Russell now finds himself confident in front of the paddock's many cameras—sunglasses on, relaxed curls out, wearing a preppy-cool ensemble that perfectly encapsulates his personal style.

If you ask any F1 fashion fan on TikTok, they'll probably trace back Russell's sartorial "glow-up" to the sport's summer break in 2023. It was around then that he became a global brand ambassador for Tommy Hilfiger, his team's former official clothing partner until this season, when Adidas took over. When F1 returned in August, Russell's usual coiffed hair was loose and casual, and he had on an unbuttoned plaid shirt and khakis. Instead of just wearing his team kit to races, he began wearing sophisticated ensembles that felt true to him while still being unexpected for someone who hadn't previously experimented with fashion during race weekends. Each stop on the F1 calendar brought more looks, and slowly but surely, Russell's signature look took form. "I wouldn't say I'm pushing the boat out, because it's still been reasonably conservative, but I'm wearing looks that I definitely would not have picked off the shelf initially," he says.

Adidas's joining the team in 2025 introduced an added air of cool casualness to Russell's style. He was recently spotted in disguise at the Mexico City Grand Prix wearing a sold-out bomber jacket from the brand's collaboration with Bad Bunny, and suede Sambas have become his go-to paddock shoe. And then there's his ever-changing watch collection, all of which comes from IWC. Keep scrolling to read through our full conversation, which touches on everything from Russell's go-to everyday timepiece to the end of his skinny-jeans phase.

Fashion and Formula 1 are undoubtedly intertwined, both now and in the past, with drivers like Ayrton Senna, Jacky Ickx, Michael Schumacher, and Lewis Hamilton all leaning into style in their own way. Before starting in F1, did you have any interest in fashion?

Prior to F1, not at all, to be honest. I grew up in a very small village with not many people around. We lived in the country, so fashion was not even thought of. It was only really as I joined F1, where we had these really cool partnerships. I [began to] recognize the impact fashion had on my state of mind, realizing that if I'm dressing well and I'm feeling good with what I'm wearing, I feel more confident. Especially in the world we live in, where you always have cameras on you, you're under the spotlight always. Having fashion to make you stand taller as you walk through these cameras really helped because if you're not feeling good in what you're wearing, and you're being photographed thousands of times as you arrive [at work], it doesn't make you feel better.

Do you feel like moving from Williams to Mercedes had any effect on that, whether that's because of your brand partners or moving into a top team and building your confidence?

Absolutely. Of course, as I moved from Williams to Mercedes, I was also growing up and learning more about myself and what I felt comfortable in. I have often been quite [a] conservative [dresser], I would say. My fashion sense is a traditionally British, timeless sort of look, but I've been happy to explore a few different options over the past couple of years. I wouldn't say I'm pushing the boat out, because it's still been reasonably conservative, but I'm wearing looks that I definitely would not have picked off the shelf initially. When I put [something] on and everything fits together and you've got the right watch [and shoes] to complement the outfit, you [think], okay, this looks cool. I can rock this.

How do you approach your looks, specifically for a race weekend, when you do have all those cameras in front of you?

I think for me, the two main considerations are how the outfit fits on the body, you know, especially my trousers. I've gone slightly wider, but not too baggy—not draping too much over the shoe—but sort of a nice bit of room.

I feel like the paddock was very famously into skinny jeans for a while.

Yeah, that was 2012 style. So we've been migrating a little bit over the past few years. And then for me, it's also the color palette. I like neutral colors. I always go with a dark brown with a navy or green, or a dark brown with a light brown and something navy on top. Navy, brown, and green are the colors I tend to like. And the final thing to consider is the weather and the overall location. If you're racing in Monaco, the sun is shining and you're by the sea, so you may be rocking some white linens, versus when you're coming to Austin, you're probably going with jeans.

And are you doing it all yourself, or do you work with a stylist?

I do have a bit of help, but I've very much expressed what I like and what I feel comfortable with. If I see a 'fit that I like, or see somebody wearing something I like, I'll just screenshot it, send them a WhatsApp, and give the guy who helps me out a bit of extra help.

It's interesting—I was talking to a different driver, and they were saying that because in your line of work, you give a lot of very detailed feedback, it actually, in the end, helps with things like this because you know what you like and what feels good and know how to express that.

Absolutely. You're not scared of elaborating. We have to elaborate a lot, and it's quite detailed, and if there are any sorts of miscommunication, again, we're not scared of making sure that it is put straight.

How have your team's brand partners, like IWC and Adidas, affected your interest in style and the way you dress?

When you're racing for a team like Mercedes, that has to be a bit of a consideration. Fortunately for me, I would say my natural style—which is not too loud and not too out there, but quite a classic British look—is almost aligned with Mercedes, which is obviously a luxury brand that's very elevated and timeless. You are recognizing who you are representing. And then with the likes of IWC, as I said before, we're very fortunate to have a partner like IWC. Compared to women, who have a lot of jewelry [options], for men, it's the watch that is our main sort of garment. I always try and complement the watch to what I'm wearing.

Watch first, outfit second?

To be honest, I am getting that way. I'm very fortunate to have a number of timepieces, and I like to change it up. And again, as I said, it's based on the weather, right? If the sun is shining and the weather's hot, I'm trying to avoid a leather strap and maybe go for a metal bracelet? So you know, you're taking these little things into consideration. We're wearing the Mojave Desert watch this weekend, and that is such a bold piece, so you either need to be in line with what you're wearing or totally different so you have a big contrast with the watch—so it's the focal point. So that is also a consideration. This is a bold piece, so what am I going to do? Am I going to go the browns, or actually, am I just going to go totally different and allow the watch to speak for itself?

Speaking of the watch you're wearing, I know it's supposed to complement your race suit for the race in Austin. Can you tell me a little bit about the suit, what you like about it, and what makes it unique?

Well, I gotta be honest. I was slightly skeptical when I heard the idea of having this color of suit, but I absolutely love it. We've done a few special editions over the past few years, and without doubt, this is my favorite. This specific color—Mojave Desert—is so unique. It's really working—the [slight] contrast between the [colors of the suit and the watch] are almost the colors I wear in my everyday fashion, especially in the autumn and winter months.

I always say that the watch you wear is the only item you truly wear every single day. What IWC watch do you grab the most and why?

I would say the watch I travel with the most is the Ingenieur Perpetual Calendar. It has the navy dial with three subdials, and I just feel that it is a watch that is so versatile and can be worn with anything. If you go in for a nice dinner and you're wearing a shirt, it works. If you're wearing shorts and a T-shirt, it works. It just fits for every occasion. And when we're traveling between airports, hotels, tracks, dinners, and events, it's a watch I can rely on for every occasion.

More and more drivers in F1 are expressing themselves stylistically in the paddock. Why do you think that is? Does fashion's larger presence in the sport make it easier for drivers to experiment with style and try something other than their team kits during a race weekend?

Formula 1 is becoming so much more than just a sport. It's becoming a lifestyle for people who follow the sport, and people enjoy the entertainment off the track as much as they enjoy the entertainment on the track. Rightly or wrongly, they're finding the lives that we live quite interesting. You recognize that the sport is only what it is because of the fans who follow it, so I guess you almost have a duty to, firstly, be a great role model for young kids watching and aspiring to be not only a racing driver but a professional athlete or anything really, because the world's eyes are on you. But then, secondly, just trying to showcase who you really are, and trying to take the covers off and let those fans who make the sport so special into your life and take them on the journey.