Russell issues sincere apology to Bottas

George Russell has issued a heartfelt apology to Valtteri Bottas "and to anyone who felt let down by my actions" in the wake of his crash with the Finn in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

After a day to reflect on the incident on lap 32 of the race at Imola, and in the wake of his comments aimed at Bottas by suggesting another driver would not have taken the course of action employed by the 31-year-old, Russell has now conceded it was "not my proudest day".

Taking to social media, the Williams driver added: "I knew it would be one of our best opportunities to score points this season and, when those points matter as much as they do to us right now, sometimes you take risks.

“It didn’t pay off and I have to take responsibility for that.

“Having had time to reflect on what happened afterwards, I know I should have handled the whole situation better. Emotions can run high in the heat of the moment and yesterday mine got the better of me.

“I apologise to Valtteri, to my team and to anyone who felt let down by my actions. That’s not who I am and I expect more from myself, as I know others expect more from me.

“I’ve learned some tough lessons this weekend and will come out of this as a better driver and a better person for the experience. Now it’s full focus on [the next race in] Portugal and a chance to show what I’m really about.

“Thanks for all the messages, both positive and negative. They will all help me to grow.”

Some thoughts on yesterday: pic.twitter.com/xU07da7DCz

— George Russell (@GeorgeRussell63) April 19, 2021

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