Wolff dismisses Russell’s “bull***t” excuse for Bottas crash
Wolff dismisses Russell’s “bull***t” excuse for Bottas crash
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has dismissed George Russell's accusations of foul play from Valtteri Bottas as "bull***t" following the pair's collision in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
In drying conditions at Imola, Williams driver Russell attempted a pass on Bottas on the straight approaching the Tamburello chicane, only for the pair to crash into one another at 295kph.
Russell later asked of Bottas whether he had tried to kill them both, and given that both drivers are fighting for a seat with Mercedes for 2022, the Briton also declared that "perhaps if it was another driver, he wouldn't have done that".
Upon hearing the comments, Wolff retorted: “That’s bullshit.
"The whole situation is absolutely not amusing for us to be honest. It is quite a big shunt. Our car is a write-off and in a cost cap environment that is certainly not what we needed and is probably going to limit upgrades for what we are able to do.
“Simply, it was losing it on the wet and making those cars crash out is not what I expect to see.”
Despite his dismissal of Russell's explanation, Wolff refused to place the blame wholly on either driver, despite claiming the Williams driver has "lots to learn".
He added: “There is never such a situation in life where one is 100 per cent to blame and the other zero.
"The whole situation should have never happened. Valtteri had a bad first 30 laps and shouldn’t have been there but George should have never launched into this manoeuvre considering that the track was drying up.
“It meant taking risks and the other car is a Mercedes in front of him and in any driver's development, for a young driver you must never lose this global perspective."
The stewards have since declared neither driver at fault, and that it was a racing incident.
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
Hamilton dealt major Newey blow as shock COMPLICATION revealed
- 7 minutes ago
F1 News Today: Incredible Verstappen exit clause reignites F1 rival talks as Mercedes milestone reveals shock RED livery
- 2 hours ago
Horner outlines Ricciardo target to save F1 dream as major Newey announcement made - GPFans F1 Recap
- Yesterday 23:57
Mercedes reveal shock RED livery to celebrate historic milestone
- Yesterday 22:57
Ricciardo makes five-race admission in bid to survive F1 axe
- Yesterday 21:57
Red Bull is 'burning' after Horner and Marko display
- Yesterday 20:57
Related news
Mercedes reveal shock RED livery to celebrate historic milestone
Verstappen 'to meet Mercedes over SHOCK 2025 move as Red Bull exit clause revealed'
BLOW for former F1 champion as Mercedes preferences revealed
Mercedes star tipped to replace struggling driver THIS season
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860