Russell reveals F1 driver IGNORED his calls after embarrassing crash
Russell reveals F1 driver IGNORED his calls after embarrassing crash
George Russell has said that, following a heavy crash with then-Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas in Imola in 2021, the Finn never returned his call and the pair have never spoken about the incident since.
The interesting rivalry between Russell and Bottas first began in 2020, when they briefly became team-mates for the Sakhir Grand Prix after the Brit was chosen to replace Lewis Hamilton who tested positive for COVID-19. The resulting race saw Russell steal the lead off of Bottas in an incredible performance that placed further pressure on the Finn.
With Russell completing a post-season test for Mercedes, conversation began of whether Bottas would eventually be replaced by the youngster. However, the veteran remained Hamilton’s team-mate for 2021. For Russell, the frustration of missing out on a Mercedes drive to someone he had outperformed only grew across the season.
READ MORE: Mercedes make SURPRISE performance admission despite F1 dominance
Russell vs Bottas boils over
This culminated in a massive accident in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola where Russell caught Bottas in his slower Williams before attempting an overtake. On the wet track Russell lost control and collected Bottas, with both cars suffering heavy damage and a red flag being produced.
Both drivers traded sour words, with Mercedes being left red-faced over their junior driver’s involvement. In a recent edition of F1’s Beyond the Grid podcast, Russell admitted that he attempted to defuse the situation with a phone call to Bottas that didn’t go as hoped.
“I did give [Valtteri] a phone call, of which he didn’t answer. But we’ve never spoken about that crash ever. We’ve never spoken about when I joined Mercedes. We’ve never spoken about any of that.”
Since then Russell has gone on to make his switch to Mercedes full-time by replacing Bottas for the 2022 season. However, conversations between the two were had throughout the remainder of 2021, with Russell stating that no animosity exists over the incident.
“By the end of that year, we would bump into each other [and] we’d have a chat. We’d often speak on the drivers’ parade and there was not one single ounce of awkwardness at all. It’s just part of the business, part of the job and it’s never personal.”
READ MORE: Mercedes star reveals PowerPoint that landed him F1 seat
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
F1 News Today: Hamilton dealt major Newey blow as Red Bull chief makes BRUTAL admission
- 43 minutes ago
Schumacher reveals how Mercedes could snare Verstappen
- 1 hour ago
Red Bull chief in BRUTAL putdown of key F1 feature
- 1 hour ago
Cullen relationship blossoms with new star after moving on from Hamilton
- 2 hours ago
Hamilton dealt major Newey blow as shock COMPLICATION revealed
- 3 hours ago
Horner outlines Ricciardo target to save F1 dream as major Newey announcement made - GPFans F1 Recap
- Yesterday 23:57
Related news
FIA slammed for 'ridiculous' Russell investigation
'Disaster waiting to happen': F1 star demands FIA safety OVERHAUL after terrifying crash
Russell reveals Alonso SNUB after post-crash meeting
Mercedes F1 star makes revelation about NEW driver
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