George Russell during the press conference in Japan — Photo: © IMAGO

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'Lives are at risk': Mercedes star issues emphatic message to FIA in rule change plea

George Russell has called for a major safety rule change after a near miss during the Australian Grand Prix

Yara Elshebiny

Sunday 7 April 2024 20:00

An F1 star has called for a major safety rule change after a near miss during the Australian Grand Prix.

A terrifying incident in the third round of the season in Australia has reignited concerns about driver safety in F1. During the race, an incident between Fernando Alonso and George Russell resulted in Russell's car bouncing back onto the track in a precarious position.

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The aftermath of the crash caused serious alarm. Russell's car came to a rest on its side right in the middle of the racing line at a high-speed corner with limited visibility.

The virtual safety car was also delayed, and Lance Stroll was left unaware of the danger and continued approaching the crash site at high speeds. Russell himself was heard screaming over the radio, demanding a red flag be thrown.

Russell: 'Lives are at risk'

When questioned by Motorsport about the incident, Russell did not mince words. He emphasised the terrifying situation he found himself in, stranded on the racing line with a half-upended car and oncoming traffic approaching at 250 kilometres per hour.

"You're on a blind bend, [where cars approach at] 250km/h, right on the racing line with the car half upside down. [I was] waiting for disaster to happen.

"Fortunately, I had a 10-second gap behind me and I think it was 10 or 12 seconds before the virtual safety car came out.

"But in the space of 10 seconds, you can have five, six, seven cars if that was on lap one of the race and [I would've] probably been hit numerous times, even with the yellow flag."

Russell then went on to propose a solution - an automated VSC system that triggers immediately whenever a car comes to rest in a dangerous location.

"I think we need to find a way that if a car is in a danger zone, [there could be an] automated VSC straight away – within half a second or so because those seconds count," he explained.

"Lives are at risk. We've seen it at Spa numerous times in the past, [with] cars aquaplaning. I think it's time with the technology that we have to make steps in this area."

Red Bull George Russell Fernando Alonso Australian Grand Prix Japan