Shadowing Practice: 10 Things Formula 1 Driver George Russell Can’t Live Without - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Hi I'm George Russell and these are my 10 essential items with GQ.

This item is my race suit.

Pretty important for what I do.

It's pretty toasty inside of here because of the fireproof it's got a really thick layer inside.

So during the hot races you're struggling quite a lot in there

but I'm guessing you'll be pretty thankful if you were to be in flames, which fingers crossed never happens.

During the races, especially the hot races, we lose up to about four kilos,

mainly in fluids, but we actually have to weigh the suit on its own before and after the race,

because often you've got about a kilo's worth of sweat just within this race suit.

So I don't know if that's a good thing or pretty disgusting, but all the sweat is in there somewhere.

The suit is always tailor -made for the driver but it needs to be tailor -made in a seated position.

It actually needs to be a little bit baggier around the bum

when you're standing because when we're in the race car sat down it all stretches out

so when we're walking around it may not look like the most tailor -made suit

but when we're sat in the cockpit it's uh yeah it fits like a glove.

my next essential is my passport this stays on me 24 7 everywhere

i go it says russell p2 on the back

because i actually have two passports because we travel

so much you're allowed two passports when they're sent off for visas it's not

because i'm an agent or a spy or anything like that but That is legit, apparently.

I've only had this one just over a year, but I'm 29 pages in so far.

Some good locations in here, bringing back a few memories.

Japanese visa, Malaysia a few times, Australia.

Yeah, I've definitely been through at least two passports and I've also got a second, so I guess that's three passports I'm closing in on.

my notepad i actually leave the notepad next to my bed open every time i sleep

because i'm always thinking about things i felt like whenever

i wrote things down it took it away from my mind

and it would allow me to sleep better

and relax more i'd always write down notes before a race

so we'd have our strategy meeting in the morning where we'd go through all the different options maximize the tires

which corners that I need to be more aggressive on

which corners I need to be a bit more cautious on to protect the car protect the tires

I've also got the very first page is the scores of a card game with my family

they're pretty diverse no bad police sunglasses obviously one to protect myself from the sun

but also we have so many time zone shifts during the season we're traveling

so much and wearing sunglasses at the right point of the day really helps to adjust the body clock

so you may sometimes see me walking around an airport with my sunnies on

and i promise i'm not trying to look like a rock star

i'm just trying to get into the the next time zone i don't know

if you can tell from the camera but I have quite a large head

so finding sunglasses that fit are not always easy

but since I started wearing police they just fit my face

and this is a sort of a style I like so yeah I don't know what you think.

My next travel essential is my speaker.

I just love listening to music while getting ready in the morning in the shower

so you need something pretty potent pretty pretty loud

I'm one of those people who don't have one standout artist who is my favorite

I have a lot of respect for Ed Sheeran, Coldplay,

Black Eyed Peas as well I'm definitely not the one in social situations to take control of the music

because I feel that is one of the highest pressurized jobs

so I always give that to somebody else and then

when I don't like I just complain about it so yeah that's not for me.

My trusty pillow.

I travel quite a lot.

I stay in many different hotels.

My pet hate is when I'd get to a hotel, I'd lay in the bed, bed's nice and comfy, and I'd get this pillow,

and it would either be too big, too small, too firm, too soft.

So I thought, you know what, I need to take my own pillow everywhere I go.

So I need to leave a little extra space in my bag just for this.

It might be a little disgusting.

I think I've had it for about four or five, five years now this pillow so I don't want to do it

because I'm scared to take the pillowcase off to see what the pillow looks like beneath but

Once you've found the one you love, you can't change it, can you?

My next essential item is my white linen

Tommy Hilfiger shirt.

I feel that with a white shirt that fits you properly, you can wear it for any occasion, whether you're going for smart dinner,

casual dinner, going to the beach.

I mean, I might even just throw it on now, you know.

Here we go.

roll the sleeves up a little bit any situation

this fitness band i don't even know the official name for it i find

it really handy whenever i'm actually flying to be honest just doing little exercises and stretches with this band i mean

we're not really inventing the world here but this is sort of like a simple stretch

This is what I'd normally do

when you're standing near like the toilets on an aeroplane

so you don't have a lot of space and

when people are queuing for the toilets they're looking at you like what the hell are you doing?

Keeps me fit I guess.

A new addition to the 10 essentials during a race weekend

I wanted to have a little sleep before one of the races it was pretty noisy around

and then I'd have those horrible squidgy orange earplugs I'd stick in

and then they'd always like fall out and they wouldn't really work

and it just felt horrible and disgusting so I put my earplugs in that I use to race in.

They've obviously got the wires which connect to the car

so I asked my team

if they'd be able to create little earplugs molded to my ears

that I can stick in anytime while I'm flying while I'm sleeping obviously with no wires attached.

Self -care.

You know you obviously find these in all the hotels you go to

but they vary quite a lot when you're traveling between the US, Mexico, Japan, China, Australia.

So I always take my trusty shampoo, my hair gel, it's actually clay, and my Gillette razor.

So I like to take good care of myself, playing around a bit with my hair last year which was a new thing for me.

I have the same hairstyle for about 15 years which was cut by my mum.

My daily routine when I wake up I always try and stay off my phone.

I think it's really good for your mind that's so important.

Obviously jumping in the shower, clean my teeth.

Yeah I probably should have brought my toothbrush with me here as well.

That is also an essential but I thought these were the main ones.

Have a shave, do my hair.

100

I'd like to think I'm the cleanest shaven driver on the grid.

101

I mean there are some who are still struggling to grow a beard, so maybe they have beat me in that race.

102

But for those who can grow a bit of stubble or a beard, I think I'll have the cleanest one.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This speaking lesson is built on the video “10 Things Formula 1 Driver George Russell Can’t Live Without”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: race, essential, pillow, passport, suit. This video has 102 sentences and 1331 words to shadow. The speech runs for 7:50. The speaker talks at a natural 170 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. Only 80% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
passport noun	/ˈpæspɔɹt/	An official document normally used for international journeys, which proves the identity and nationality of the person for whom it was issued.
pillow noun	/ˈpɪl.oʊ/ [ˈpʰɪɫ.ö̞]	A soft cushion used to support the head in bed.
stretch verb	/stɹɛt͡ʃ/	To lengthen by pulling.
disgusting adjective	/dɪsˈɡʌstɪŋ/	Causing disgust; repulsive; distasteful.
sunglasses noun		Tinted glasses worn to protect the eyes from the sun or other bright light, and may also be worn as a fashion accessory.
tailor noun	/ˈteɪlɚ/	A person who makes, repairs, or alters clothes professionally, especially suits and men's clothing.
horrible adjective	/ˈhɔɹ.ɪ.bəl/	Causing horror; terrible; shocking.
wire noun	/ˈwaɪɚ/	Metal formed into a thin, even thread, now usually by being drawn through a hole in a steel die.
toilet verb	/ˈtɔɪ.lət/	To assist another (a child, etc.) in using a toilet.
sweat verb	/swɛt/	To emit sweat.
visa noun	/ˈviːzə/	A permit to enter and leave a country, normally issued by the authorities of the country to be visited.
beard noun	/bɪɹd/	Facial hair on the chin, cheeks, jaw and neck.
tire verb	/ˈtaɪ̯ɚ/	To become sleepy or weary.
shave verb	/ˈʃeɪ̯v/	To make (the head, skin etc.) bald or (the hair) shorter by using a tool such as a razor or electric clippers to cut the hair close to the skin.
bind verb	/ˈbaɪ̯nd/	To tie; to confine by any ligature.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
walk around verb		To walk with no planned destination; to meander.
bring back verb	/ˈbɹɪŋ bæk/	To fetch something.
close in on verb		To enclose around; to tighten or shrink; to collapse.
fall out verb		To come out of something by falling.
go through verb		To travel from one end of something to the other.
play around verb		To behave in a silly, childish, or irresponsible way.
sit down verb		To assume a sitting position from a standing position.
wake up verb	/ˌweɪk ˈʌp/	To stop sleeping; to awake.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	I've only had · I've definitely been · I've had
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing	people who don · year which was · years which was
Possibility with “might / may” might/may + verb — something that is possible but not certain	may not look · may sometimes see · might be
Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group	the most tailor · the highest · the cleanest

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 61 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, I'd. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “th” sounds: thick /θɪk/, beneath /bɪˈniːθ/, thankful /ˈθæŋkfəl/, toothbrush /ˈtuːθ.bɹʌʃ/
The “sh” and “zh” sounds: shave /ˈʃeɪ̯v/, occasion /əˈkeɪ̯ʒən/, casual /ˈkæʒ(u)əl/, cautious /ˈkɔːʃəs/, shampoo /ʃæmˈpuː/

How to practise with this video

Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like passport, pillow, stretch.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

Shadowing Practice: 10 Things Formula 1 Driver George Russell Can’t Live Without - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

Key vocabulary in this video

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Grammar in this video

Pronunciation to watch

How to practise with this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?