Russell: Bottas crash won’t harm my relationship with Mercedes
George Russell is confident his Formula 1 crash with Valtteri Bottas at Imola is not going to harm his relationship with parent team Mercedes.
Williams driver Russell collided with Bottas when trying to overtake the Mercedes car for ninth place in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, resulting in a big crash.
The incident eliminated both drivers from the race and brought out a red flag due to debris strewn across the track. It also caused Bottas’s car to almost be written off due to the amount of damage sustained.
Bottas and Russell blamed each other for the incident, but Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff was unimpressed by Russell’s actions, saying he has “lots to learn” and should have been more mindful against a car from his parent team.
Russell issued an apology for Bottas on Monday evening, saying he “should have handled the whole situation better”.
George Russell, Williams FW43B
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Speaking before issuing his apology, Russell said he was confident that the incident would not have a negative impact on his relationship with Mercedes.
Russell has been a member of its junior programme since 2017, and is widely tipped to one day succeed either Bottas or Lewis Hamilton at Brackley, perhaps as early as 2022.
“It’s not going to harm my relationship with Mercedes,” Russell said.
“I’ve already spoken with them, and there’s understandings from both sides.
“I’m sure from my side, when you are looking forward, you are not really taking into consideration of which car it is. But at the end of the day the move was absolutely on.
“It was only three-quarters of the way down straight and that would just have been a clear easy simple overtake, had it not been a little bit damp and that point.
“The point I pulled out, it wasn’t damp. It was just the track was going to the left, I was squeezed slightly to the right and that’s where the dampness was.”
Russell went over to Bottas’s cockpit shortly after the crash and asked the Finn “if he was trying to kill us both” before tapping him on the helmet. Bottas responded by raising a middle finger to Russell.
“Should I have reacted how I did afterwards, in the heat of the moment? Probably not, no,” Russell acknowledged.
“But as I said, the emotions are incredibly high. We’ve exchanged words and that was it.”
Russell is planning to call Bottas this week to clear the air following their crash, while Wolff also said he intends to discuss the crash with Russell.
Previous article
Russell apologises to Bottas after Imola F1 shunt reaction
Next article
Is Mercedes' big strength against Red Bull a weakness for Bottas?
Why polarising Mosley’s legacy amounts to far more than tabloid rumour
The newspapers, naturally, lingered over Max Mosley’s tainted family history and niche sexual practices. But this is to trivialise the legacy of a big beast of motor racing politics. STUART CODLING weighs the life of a man whose work for safety on both road and track has saved hundreds of thousands of lives, but whose penchant for cruelty remains problematic and polarising
Why pragmatic Perez isn't fazed by no-nonsense Red Bull F1 culture
Sergio Perez has spent most of his career labouring in Formula 1’s midfield, wondering whether he’d ever get another shot at the big time. Red Bull has handed him that chance and, although life at the top is tough, the Baku winner is doing all the right things to get on terms with Max Verstappen, says BEN ANDERSON
What the data tells us about the F1 2021 title fight
Formula 1 has been tracking car performance using timing loops mounted every 200m around each circuit – to the extent that it was able to anticipate Ferrari’s 'surprise’ pole in Monaco. PAT SYMONDS explains what this means for this season and beyond
The weighty issue F1 needs to find a balance with
OPINION: After consecutive street races with contrasting highlights, one theme stood out which has become a prevalent issue with modern Formula 1 cars. But is there a way to solve it or, at least, reach a happy middle ground to help all parties?
The changes behind a ‘feel-good’ F1 result in Baku
OPINION: The Azerbaijan Grand Prix had elements that make Formula 1 really exciting – unpredictability and shock results. This resulted in heartbreak for several of the championship’s regular contenders and joy for others who rarely reach the ultimate limelight. And one of those on the Baku podium is riding a wave of form he’s keen to continue
The human cost to replacing Formula 1's cancelled rounds
OPINION: With the global pandemic still lingering, Singapore's grand prix has been cancelled for 2021, with more looking likely to follow. Although Formula 1 has TV deals and profits to chase, retaining a 23-race calendar could be most harmful to those who sacrifice the most for the championship
Azerbaijan Grand Prix Driver Ratings
An eventful weekend in Baku full of incident and drama lent the race result an unusual feel, as three drivers scored their first podiums of the year. But it wasn't the eventual race winner who scored top marks in our driver ratings
How three drivers 'won' the Azerbaijan GP
Formula 1's return to Baku after a year away had thrown up an eventful qualifying marred by four red flags, but the race appeared to be running to a familiar Red Bull vs Mercedes template entering the closing stages. That is, until a dramatic conclusion where victory was snatched away from two drivers, before landing in the lap of Sergio Perez
