Mercedes F1 star George Russell saved from potential fire by Alpine mechanics

Alpine F1 team name sign with a concerned George Russell edited over the top in Mercedes kit — Photo: © IMAGO

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George Russell saved from potential fire by Alpine mechanics

Alpine team members were on hand to help Russell

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Wednesday 12 November 2025 16:43

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A clip circulating on social media has shown Mercedes F1 star George Russell being saved from a potential fire by Alpine mechanics at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

The F1 championship returned to Interlagos last weekend for the 21st round of the 2025 campaign, and thanks to the Sao Paulo track hosting the penultimate sprint race of the season, there was just one practice session on Friday.

Russell only managed to finish sixth-fastest in FP1 and as he returned to the pits to end his session, Alpine team members quickly came to his assistance.

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In a clip shared on social media, Russell could be seen pointing towards the front brakes of his W16, with Alpine mechanics thankfully spotting his gesture and quickly pointing their cold air guns towards Russell's car.

After delivering a thankful thumbs up to the rival team members, Russell was instructed over team radio to carry out a practice pit stop and switch off once he was able to get going again.

The comments of the ‘X' post suggested that Alpine’s growing relationship with Mercedes could explain why the mechanics were happy to comply with Russell’s request, with one user writing: “They are training for 2026.”

The Enstone-based outfit recently secured a multi-year agreement to use Mercedes power units from the introduction of the new era in 2026 until at least the end of the 2030 campaign.

This explains the common sentiment in the comments of the clip, with another user writing: “What wouldn't they do for their future engines?” But in reality, any rival mechanic would have done the same given the threat of a fire posed by the brakes overheating.

How do the brakes on an F1 car catch fire?

Russell was lucky to catch the attention of the Alpine duo and had they not been on hand to blow cool air into the brake system of his Mercedes, the car could have easily overheated and caught fire.

The W16 was particularly vulnerable at that moment in the pit lane given that the 27-year-old had just brought his car to a standstill following his hour of practice.

All F1 cars are subject to an extreme temperature buildup caused by braking just before the car is stationary, which can lead to a lack of cooling airflow.

This is where the cold air guns wielded by the Alpine mechanics come into play, with compressed air able to be aimed at the brakes to help manage their extreme temperatures by introducing a rapid stream of cold air to their circulation.

On their official F1 website, Mercedes report that temperatures for their brake discs can reach 1,000 degrees Celsius or more.