George Russell took to social media to apologise to Valtteri Bottas after he crashed into his Mercedes and lashed out at him in Imola. The incident led to Toto Wolff issuing not-so-kind words in Russell’s favour.
However, the Brit cooled down after the race and issued a public apology by taking responsibility for the crash.
“I apologise to Valtteri, to my team and to anyone who felt let down by my actions,” said the Mercedes junior and 2021 Williams driver. He also revealed that the replays looked a lot different than how he perceived the crash at the time.
The apology comes after a strong statement made by Wolff on the 23-year-old driver who is most probably first in line for a seat with Mercedes.
“The manoeuvre he made implied risks and did not take into account that the car in front of him was a Mercedes,” said the Austrian.
“All the drivers at the academies should never lose sight of the global perspective of things. I think they have a lot to learn from what happened,” Wolff added.
Russell walked over to Bottas after the crash and knocked him on his helmet even before the Finn could step out of his wrecked car. However, Russell feels that the incident will not hamper his relationship with Mercedes.
There is still a bit of suspicion in Russell that Bottas defended his position as he considers the Brit a threat to his future at Mercedes.
“There is no tension at all between Valtteri and I,” Russell insisted. “Obviously you can take my comment as you wish. I think it was pretty clear how it was intended.
“But maybe I was wrong. Maybe he’s just fighting for absolutely every position.
“Valtteri and I will talk and we will clear the air. I’ve got no intention to hold any grudges or have any bad relationship with any driver on the grid,” he added.
Who do you think is to be blamed for the crash between Russell and Bottas? Let us know in the comments below!
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