Motorsport Week
  • Formula 1
    • 2025 Formula 1 Calendar
    • 2025 Formula 1 Standings
  • Formula E
    • 2025 Formula E Calendar
    • 2025 Formula E Standings
  • IndyCar
    • 2025 IndyCar Calendar
    • 2025 IndyCar Standings
  • WRC
    • 2025 WRC Standings
    • 2025 WRC Calendar
  • MotoGP
    • 2025 MotoGP Calendar
    • 2025 MotoGP Standings
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
  • WEC
    • 2025 WEC Calendar
  • IMSA
    • 2025 IMSA Calendar
  • World SBK
  • More
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • F1 Academy
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
    • World Superbikes
    • Technical Insight
    • Galleries
    • About/Contact
    • Privacy Policy
No Result
View All Result
  • Formula 1
    • 2025 Formula 1 Calendar
    • 2025 Formula 1 Standings
  • Formula E
    • 2025 Formula E Calendar
    • 2025 Formula E Standings
  • IndyCar
    • 2025 IndyCar Calendar
    • 2025 IndyCar Standings
  • WRC
    • 2025 WRC Standings
    • 2025 WRC Calendar
  • MotoGP
    • 2025 MotoGP Calendar
    • 2025 MotoGP Standings
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
  • WEC
    • 2025 WEC Calendar
  • IMSA
    • 2025 IMSA Calendar
  • World SBK
  • More
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • F1 Academy
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
    • World Superbikes
    • Technical Insight
    • Galleries
    • About/Contact
    • Privacy Policy
No Result
View All Result
Motorsport Week
Home Single Seater Formula 1

Russell adamant Imola shunt won’t harm Mercedes relationship

by Phillip Horton
4 years ago
A A
1
Russell adamant Imola shunt won’t harm Mercedes relationship

George Russell (GBR) Williams Racing FW43B. Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Saturday 17th April 2021. Imola, Italy.

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

George Russell has outlined that his high-speed clash with Valtteri Bottas at Imola will not affect his long-term relationship with Mercedes.

Russell and Bottas collided along the main straight in slippery conditions and were eliminated in the wake of the high-speed clash.

Stewards deemed the collision a racing incident though in the immediate aftermath both held the other responsible.

Russell, who has raced for Williams since 2019, has been backed by Mercedes since his junior days, and is a candidate for a 2022 seat with the team, for whom he competed in Bahrain last December.

RelatedPosts

Oliver Bearman rued a crash in FP3 costing him eighth on the grid at Silverstone

Oliver Bearman explains FP3 blunder that denied him highest F1 start at British GP

4 hours ago
Charles Leclerc qualified in sixth place for the 2025 Formula 1 British Grand Prix

Charles Leclerc hints at ‘weird’ issue limiting Ferrari’s one-lap pace in F1 2025

4 hours ago

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff outlined that the situation “should never have happened” and while not laying the full blame on either driver made his feelings clear.

“George should never have launched into this manoeuvre considering that the track was drying up – it meant taking risk and the other car in front of him was Mercedes,” said Wolff.

“Any driver development, any young driver, you must never lose this global perspective. Lots to learn for him I guess.”

Russell, though, doubled down and outlined that he felt no need to be more wary fighting a Mercedes than any other opponent. 

“It’s not going to harm my relationship with Mercedes at all, I’ve already spoken with them, and there’s understanding from both sides, I’m sure from my side when you’re looking forward you’re not really taking into consideration what car it is,” he said.

“At the end of the day the move was absolutely on, we were only three-quarters of the way down the straight and that would have been a clear easy simple overtake had it not been a little bit damp at that point.

“The point I pulled out it wasn’t damp, the track was going left, I was squeezed slightly to the right, and that’s where the dampness was.

“Should I have reacted how I did afterwards in the heat of the moment? Probably not no, but as I said the emotions are incredibly high. We exchanged words and that’s it.”

The collision came while the pair were battling over ninth position in the race, as Russell chased Williams’ first points finish since mid-2019.

“I’ve never been in a position where I’m fighting against a Mercedes, Williams has probably not been there in probably five years, so it’s not even crossed my mind how I would fight against a Mercedes,” he said.

“As I said it was not a reckless move, the move was totally on, Valtteri defended hard and he was fair to do so.

“We were three-quarters of a way down the so called straight, it wasn’t like I lunged from 20 metres back and crashed into the side of him.”

Tags: F1ImolaGPValtteri Bottas
Share200Tweet125Share

Related Posts

Oliver Bearman rued a crash in FP3 costing him eighth on the grid at Silverstone
Formula 1

Oliver Bearman explains FP3 blunder that denied him highest F1 start at British GP

4 hours ago
Charles Leclerc qualified in sixth place for the 2025 Formula 1 British Grand Prix
Formula 1

Charles Leclerc hints at ‘weird’ issue limiting Ferrari’s one-lap pace in F1 2025

4 hours ago
Max Verstappen (NLD) Red Bull Racing RB21 in qualifying parc ferme. 05.07.2025. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 12, British Grand Prix, Silverstone, England, Qualifying Day
Formula 1

Why Max Verstappen’s F1 British GP pole vindicated McLaren’s refusal to discount him

5 hours ago
Load More

Comments 1

  1. Adam Poole says:
    4 years ago

    Absolutely, the move was on, but given the racing line, the space was always going to disappear. I think it’s safe to say that both drivers were shocked by the closing speed; given the slipstream, DRS, and the lack of pace on VBs car.

    It is 100% a racing incident, and like Toto said, it’s 60/40.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Upcoming Races

#EventDate
11Austrian GP27-29 June
12British GP04-06 July
13Belgian GP25-27 July
14Hungarian GP01-03 August
15Dutch GP29-31 August

Click here for the full 2025 F1 calendar

Drivers’  Standings

#DriverPts
Oscar Piastri216
Lando Norris201
Max Verstappen155
George Russell146
Charles Leclerc120
Lewis Hamilton91
Andrea Kimi Antonelli63
Alexander Albon42
Isack Hadjar28
Esteban Ocon23

Click here for full Drivers’ Standings

Latest Articles

Oliver Bearman rued a crash in FP3 costing him eighth on the grid at Silverstone
Formula 1

Oliver Bearman explains FP3 blunder that denied him highest F1 start at British GP

July 5, 2025
Charles Leclerc qualified in sixth place for the 2025 Formula 1 British Grand Prix
Formula 1

Charles Leclerc hints at ‘weird’ issue limiting Ferrari’s one-lap pace in F1 2025

July 5, 2025
Max Verstappen (NLD) Red Bull Racing RB21 in qualifying parc ferme. 05.07.2025. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 12, British Grand Prix, Silverstone, England, Qualifying Day
Formula 1

Why Max Verstappen’s F1 British GP pole vindicated McLaren’s refusal to discount him

July 5, 2025

Follow Motorsport Week

Join our daily motorsport newsletter

* indicates required

Motorsport Week

© 2024 Motorsport Media Services Ltd

Other Links

  • About & Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Motorsport Monday

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Home
  • Formula 1
    • Latest News
    • 2025 F1 Calendar
    • 2025 F1 Championship Standings
  • Formula E
    • Latest News
    • 2025 FE Calendar
    • 2025 FE Championship Standings
  • MotoGP
    • Latest News
    • 2025 MotoGP Calendar
    • 2025 MotoGP Standings
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
    • World Superbikes
  • WRC
    • Latest News
    • 2025 WRC Calendar
    • 2025 WRC Standings
  • IndyCar
    • Latest News
    • 2025 IndyCar Calendar
    • 2025 IndyCar Standings
  • WEC
    • Latest News
    • 2025 WEC Calendar
  • Live Updates
  • Other
    • IMSA
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • F1 Academy
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
    • World Superbikes
  • Galleries
  • About/Contact
  • Privacy Policy

© 2024 Motorsport Media Services Ltd