George Russell: Bottas Incident “Not Going to Harm My Relationship With Mercedes”

George Russell is rumored to drive for Mercedes in the near future, but the incidents of Imola may have affected it. Russell was chasing down Valtteri’s car at Imola, but the Williams and Mercedes drivers crashed into one another, ending the race prematurely for both. However, Russell has stated that this won’t affect his relationship with the Silver Arrows.

The British driver was fighting against Bottas for  9th place, but he misjudged the Finn and crashed. Russell feels Bottas was in the wrong as he had the faster car and DRS available while Bottas blames Russell.

Round three of the championship takes us to Portugal where both thedrivers will look to put this sour incident behind them and get back to finishing races.

George Russell states his relationship with Mercedes isn’t at risk

Speaking to RacingNews365, after the Grand Prix, Russell stated, “It’s not going to harm my relationship with Mercedes at all. I’ve already spoken with them. There’s understanding from both sides. From my side, when you’re looking forward, you’re not really taking the consideration of which car it is at the end of the day. The move was absolutely on.”

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

Russell apologies to Valtteri Bottas after causing a horrible crash

The Williams driver couldn’t control his emotions after the crash and went to Bottas to confront him. In retrospect, Russell feels that was wrong and he should have acted in a better way. He took to social media to apologize to the Mercedes driver.

Russell wrote, “Yesterday wasn’t my proudest day. 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 a better driver and a better person for the experience.”

“Now it’s full focus on 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,” he concluded.

The 23-year-old has not yet scored his first F1 points this season. He hopes that he and the Grove-based outfit can achieve a better result at the upcoming Grand Prix in Portugal.

Read More: George Russell Blamed for ‘Deflecting Attention’ in Bottas Altercation After Imola F1 Crash