F1 stewards take no action over ‘racing incident’ Bottas and Russell crash
The Formula 1 race stewards have opted to take no action over Valtteri Bottas and George Russell’s clash in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, calling it a “racing incident”.


Bottas and Russell crashed out of Sunday’s race at Imola after colliding on the approach to Turn 2 when battling over ninth position.
Russell was gaining rapidly on Bottas down the main straight and moved to the right-hand side of the track to try and overtake, only to hit a wet patch and lose control of his car.
Russell’s Williams speared to the left and into the Mercedes of Bottas, causing significant damage to both cars and leaving debris strewn across the track, causing a red flag.
Both drivers were quick to blame each other, with Russell claiming Bottas broke a gentleman’s agreement over minor movements at high-speed.
The stewards confirmed shortly after the incident that they would be investigating the matter after the race, meeting with both drivers and representatives from Mercedes and Williams.
In a bulletin issued by the stewards after the meeting, it was confirmed that no further action would be taken following a review of the videos and car telemetry.
The stewards deemed that Bottas “maintained his line throughout the incident along the right-hand side of the dry line, leaving at least a full car’s width to the right at all times”.
When Russell moved to pass Bottas on the right, “the gap between them and the right-hand side of the track decreased”, leading to the crash.

Lando Norris, McLaren MCL35M, Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes W12, and George Russell, Williams FW43B
Photo by: Charles Coates / Motorsport Images
The stewards wrote: “At no time did either car manoeuvre erratically. The track appeared to be not especially wet through Turn 1 but at the point of closest approach to the right hand-side of the track, the right-hand side tyres of car 63 hit an especially damp patch and the car snap yawed, bearing in mind that the car had low downforce in the rear with the DRS open.
“The stewards conclude that the accident was a racing incident considering the conditions and take no further action.”
Read Also:
Asked by Autosport about how he defended, Bottas denied that he had broken any agreement between the drivers.
“I don’t see it that way at all, I didn’t make any sudden moves,” Bottas said.
“I think it’s quite clear from his onboard as well, I always left a space. No, from my side, it was clean.
“Of course I’m defending, I’m not going to make any room for him. But also when I race, I have respect. So I see it differently to him.”
Related video

Wolff: Russell has "lots to learn" after F1 crash with Bottas at Imola
Bottas: Russell has "quite a theory" over Imola F1 defending after crash

Latest news
Connecting two of Ferrari's favourite F1 sons
Gilles Villeneuve's exploits behind the wheel of a Ferrari made him a legend to the tifosi, even 40 years after his death. The team's current Formula 1 star Charles Leclerc enjoys a similar status, and recently got behind the wheel of a very special car from the French-Canadian’s career
How a 30cm metal wire triggered open warfare in the F1 paddock
Porpoising has become the key talking point during the 2022 Formula 1 season, as teams battle to come to terms with it. An FIA technical directive ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix and a second stay appearing on the Mercedes cars only served to create a bigger debate and raise tensions further
Does Verstappen have any weaknesses left?
Having extended his Formula 1 points lead with victory in Canada, Max Verstappen has raised his game further following his 2021 title triumph. Even on the days where Red Bull appears to be second best to Ferrari, Verstappen is getting the most out of the car in each race. So, does he have any weaknesses that his title rivals can exploit?
How F1's future fuels can shape the automotive sector
In 2026, Formula 1 plans to make the switch to a fully sustainable fuel, as the greater automotive world considers its own alternative propulsion methods. Biogasoline and e-fuels both have merit as 'drop-in' fuels but, equally, both have their shortcomings...
The breakthrough behind Sainz’s best weekend of F1 2022 so far
OPINION: Carlos Sainz came close to winning in Monaco but needed that race’s specific circumstances for his shot at a maiden Formula 1 victory to appear. Last weekend in Canada, he led the line for Ferrari in Charles Leclerc’s absence from the front. And there’s a key reason why Sainz has turned his 2022 form around
Canadian Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2022
Plenty of high scores but just a single perfect 10 from the first Montreal race in three years, as Max Verstappen fended off late pressure from Carlos Sainz. Here’s Autosport’s assessment on the Formula 1 drivers from the Canadian Grand Prix
Why “faster” Ferrari couldn’t beat Red Bull in Canadian GP
On paper the Canadian Grand Prix will go down as Max Verstappen’s latest triumph, fending off late pressure from Carlos Sainz to extend his Formula 1 world championship lead. But as safety car periods, virtual and real, shook up the race Ferrari demonstrated it can take the fight to Red Bull after recent failures
The in-demand helmet designer creating works of art for F1's best
GP Racing’s OLEG KARPOV pays a visit to designer Jens Munser, to observe the production of Mick Schumacher’s special helmet for the Miami Grand Prix. What follows is some fascinating insight on the mindsets of Mick’s dad Michael, and family friend Sebastian Vettel