F1 at Christmas: 2024 stars recast as classic holiday movie characters

It's Christmas! Time to eat, drink, be merry and slouch in front of your TV for a few hours absolutely stuffed full of food watching...well, when the Netflix NFL streams inevitably struggle to handle the load, let's say watching Christmas movies!

Which movies? Well that's up to you and your conscience (or whichever member of your family's fastest with the remote control), but whichever it is...we might be able to give it a little twist here.

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From Max Verstappen to Bernie Ecclestone, we’ve matched your favourite F1 figures to their festive counterparts (three guesses as to who Ecclestone is), because tenuous links between two entirely separate concepts are our speciality.

Without further ado, here's our list of F1 personalities as Christmas characters!

Fernando Alonso: The Ghost of Christmas Past (A Christmas Carol)

As tensions with Lewis Hamilton re-surface on the track from time-to-time, it appears the Aston Martin driver is still haunted by his former rival, making the Ghost of Christmas Past the perfect Christmas part for Alonso to play.

George Russell: George Bailey (It's a Wonderful Life)

Now, this pick isn’t just because they’re both called George, rather Russell is infused with that George Bailey/Frank Capra righteousness that reigns throughout It’s a Wonderful Life.

As head of the GPDA, and therefore the voice of the common man (the first and last time you will hear F1 drivers described as such), Russell is practically the modern day James Stewart.

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Yuki Tsunoda: Kevin McCallister (Home Alone)

Abandoned just before Christmas? Known for their short temper at times? I could be describing Kevin McCallister from Home Alone, but strangely the same also applies to Yuki Tsunoda.

Tsunoda was cruelly rejected from the Red Bull by Christian Horner and Helmut Marko, just as poor Macaulay Culkin was forgotten by Catherine O’Hara.

Will a late Red Bull move materialise for Tsunoda, as Kevin’s mother did at the end of the much loved Christmas movie? Unlikely.

Max Verstappen: The Grinch (How the Grinch Stole Christmas)

He may be a four-time world champion, but that won’t stop Max Verstappen from having a good old moan on certain occasions.

Whether it was his X-rated team radio messages in Hungary, or despondent press conferences regarding Red Bull’s pace in 2024, at times Verstappen could be a real Grinch.

However, just like the Grinch welcoming joy into his home at the end of the film, Verstappen too celebrated in Las Vegas with a smile and a gin & tonic in his hand.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri: Harry and Marv (Home Alone)

If Red Bull are the metaphorical McCallister family in this list, then that makes McLaren the thieving duo of the Wet Bandits.

The strong driver lineup of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris ensured they stole Red Bull’s constructors’ crown from the reigning champions, just as Harry and Marv attempted to rob the McCallister family home.

Valtteri Bottas: The Snowman (The Snowman)

Similar to the Snowman in Raymond Briggs' nostalgic illustration, Bottas would be the perfect F1 driver to embark on a night of revelry in the snowy north.

However, Bottas will also cruelly melt away after Christmas after failing to acquire a seat for 2025, which, for the purposes of this list, makes him the Snowman.

Also he’s from Finland, and it snows a lot there!

Eddie Jordan: Billy Mack (Love Actually)

An effervescent older gentleman, who says exactly what he thinks and doesn’t give a damn!

The parallels are endless between Eddie Jordan and Billy Mack, and if F1 were ever to produce an Eddie Jordan biopic, Bill Nighy would be the ideal candidate to play the former team boss.

Bernie Ecclestone: Ebenezer Scrooge (A Christmas Carol)

Who else but Bernie Ecclestone could play Ebenezer Scrooge if the F1 paddock staged a performance of A Christmas Carol?

The former F1 boss and business magnate has the wealth and the surly demeanour to play the character perfectly, in fact I can picture him perfectly in Victorian garb already!

Leo Leclerc: Gizmo (Gremlins)

Leo Leclerc burst onto our screens in 2024, following his adoption by Ferrari star Charles Leclerc and his partner Alexandra Saint Mleux.

Much like Gizmo in 1984, F1 audiences have become enraptured with the cute little creature, and it would not be a proper tribute to the 2024 season without featuring the pup in our Christmas list.

Roscoe Hamilton: Stripe (Gremlins)

If Leo Leclerc was to have an evil adversary in the F1 paddock, it would of course be Roscoe Hamilton.

The seven-time world champion’s pooch possesses the mischievous spirit of Stripe, who wrecked havoc on Kingston Falls at Christmas.

Like Stripe, Roscoe too has the ability to commandeer a bar with his accomplices, and party the night away.

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Written by

Sheona Mountford - F1 Journalist

Sheona Mountford is a motorsport journalist specialising in F1. As a writer and contributor, she covers a wide range of motorsport series from F1 to F1 Academy, responsible for breaking news, live race coverage and in depth analysis of the sport and the culture around it.

View full biography

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