F1 stars including Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, and others attend Stefano Domenicali's hosted team dinner

Formula 1 drivers, including Lewis Hamilton, temporarily traded their racing gear for casual attire as they gathered for a dinner hosted by F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali. The event, held ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix weekend, brought together all 20 drivers on the current grid alongside a few stakeholders and officials behind the scenes.

The dinner — a subtly rare occasion considering it's mid-season — witnessed the entire grid, including Max Verstappen, who had missed the recent gathering of drivers for the F1 movie, in attendance. Photos from the gathering, shared by Formula 1 on its social media, featured drivers smiling as they all came together to share a meal ahead of the Spielberg race.

The gathering, which was hosted at one of the hospitality centers at the Austrian Grand Prix paddock, largely offered a glimpse into the camaraderie that drivers and officials in Formula 1 share. In the post shared, several drivers were seen sitting alongside other staff members of the series. Lewis Hamilton sat next to former teammate George Russell.

Shifting focus to the Austrian Grand Prix event, the drivers will be aiming to maximize results for their respective teams at the Spielberg event, as the 2024 season nears its mid-season break.

Lewis Hamilton’s former teammate George Russell reacts to the drivers’ dinner

Lewis Hamilton’s former teammate, George Russell, has reacted to the drivers’ dinner hosted by Stefano Domenicali. The Mercedes driver shared his thoughts on the hospitality shown by the F1 chief on social media.

Sharing a photo from the drivers' gathering on his X account, Russell shared his emotions.

“Grazie Stefano for dinner.”

Domenicali, who has overseen several changes and expansions in F1 since taking over as CEO in January 2021, has also received praise from several fans who took to social media to react to his gesture.

Russell, who won the 2024 edition of the Austrian Grand Prix while being teammates with Lewis Hamilton, also serves as the director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA). The British driver largely represents the interests of the drivers during their interactions with the sport’s governing body and officials.

Shifting focus to his relationship with Lewis Hamilton, George Russell and the Scuderia Ferrari driver were teammates for three years—from 2022 to 2024—at Mercedes. During their stint as teammates, Russell transitioned from a promising young talent who joined from Williams Racing to a race winner and a key figure within the team.

The British driver has never shied away from praising Lewis Hamilton, and recently, he also highlighted the seven-time world champion’s impact on Formula 1 following the release of the F1 movie, in which Hamilton played an integral role as part of the production team.

The former Mercedes teammates will now aim for a relatively impressive outing when the lights go out for the start of the Austrian Grand Prix race weekend.