Mercedes F1 star George Russell admits he 'almost CRASHED' after huge Toto Wolff error

George Russell, Mercedes, Austria, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

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Russell admits he 'almost CRASHED' after huge Wolff error

George Russell capitalised on a clash between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris to win the Austrian Grand Prix

Kevin McKenna

Tuesday 2 July 2024 18:57

Austrian Grand Prix race winner George Russell has revealed how a team error almost ruined his chances of victory.

The Mercedes star clinched his second Formula 1 win at the Red Bull Ring on Sunday afternoon after capitalising on a late collision between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris to take the lead.

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The top two made contact on lap 64 after what had been a memorable battle for first position, an incident which forced Norris to retire and Verstappen to drop down the field before finishing P5.

Russell demonstrated his composure in the closing stages to take the chequered flag ahead of Oscar Piastri and Carlos Sainz.

Russell's team-mate Lewis Hamilton finished just outside the top three as the gap between the two in the drivers' standings increased to 26 points.

George Russell secured his second F1 career victory in Austria

A collision between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen allowed Russell to steal the win

'He just screamed in my ear'

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff was ecstatic after seeing Russell take control of proceedings, but an emotional outburst from the Austrian caught the former Williams racer by surprise.

Speaking over the team radio, Wolff said: "George, you can win this! You can win this George!"

Russell, however, was far from impressed with the interruption as he looked to regain focus after a chaotic few moments, instructing his boss to 'just let me f****** drive'.

Toto Wolff allowed emotions to get the better of him on team radio

Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after the race, Russell admitted he came close to losing control of his car.

"He just screamed in my ear," the 26-year-old said. "I almost crashed when it happened.

"It goes to show the passion that we all have. The team put so much effort in recently.

"Everyone in the factory has been working overtime to bring upgrades to the car earlier. Sometimes you don't feel like you get a reward for this effort, and today we did."

F1 Max Verstappen Mercedes Lando Norris George Russell Austrian Grand Prix