Fernando Alonso for long has had the image of someone who destroys the confidence of young drivers. But, in Monaco with a king gesture, he proved that not only was this portrayal unwarranted but rather it was contrary to the kind of person that he actually is.

George Russell, through his Instagram account, shared a post featuring Alonso. He revealed to the whole world that he engaged in a traditional helmet swap with Alonso in Monaco. He captioned the post by thanking Alonso in his native tongue – “This one means a lot. Gracias, legend.”

And as for the message that Alonso wrote on his helmet for Russell? It was as wholesome as it got – “George! You rock!! Future world champ.”

George Russell’s sparkling Mercedes debut previously struck Fernando Alonso

It is not the first time that the Spaniard has given a glowing appraisal of the young Briton. When Alonso was hovering around the paddock last year in preparation for his F1 return, he gave an exclusive interview to Sky Sports. Back then in the autumn, they asked him to pick his standout performer from the current crop of young drivers.

He obliged and replied, “From all of them, George Russell is the one that surprises me every weekend. How he’s driving the Williams. Zero mistakes. I’m really surprised about his natural speed. So if I have to say one name, Russell for the future is going to be my pick.”

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Russell’s divine race weekend in Sakhir also took Alonso’s attention. His upturn in fortunes after getting behind the wheel of a Mercedes car had Alonso wondering –

“In five days, not a hundred, he went from last to first. All without a divine touch, without meditating in Tibet or shit. It was enough to get into a Mercedes.” (Quotes translated from Italian using Google)

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Russell’s career is going places. Lewis Hamilton went as far as comparing him to Alonso. No wonder these two share a special relationship. More importantly, we hope it helps dispel the notion that Alonso is tough on young drivers.