Mercedes found their lost pace back at the Spanish GP and finished with both drivers on the podium. But it could have all gone wrong for them in Qualifying when George Russell made contact with Lewis Hamilton’s W14. If not for Hamilton’s lightning fast reflexes, a podium would only have been a distant dream for Mercedes.

In the post-qualifying interview, Russell termed the incident resulted from “big miscommunication”. But Richard Bradley, 2015 Le Mans winner, said on the On Track GP Podcast, that what Russell did was “Unforgivable”.

George Russell “Knew Exactly What He Was Doing”

The Qualifying at Barcelona was full of surprises. But thankfully, a crash was not one of them. The closest to a crash was Russell’s swerve that could have nearly ended Hamilton’s qualifying.

Richard Bradley dished out very strong opinions on Russell’s untimely move. On the podcast, when he was asked about who he’d pick for Driver of the day, he said, “One of the reasons I wouldn’t pick George. What happened in qualifying with Lewis was just unforgivable, unforgivable. There is absolutely no way he wouldn’t have checked his mirrors before he started that lap. He knew exactly where Lewis was.”

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He continued bashing Russell, saying “Everything he says is complete rubbish, he knew exactly what he was doing. I’m amazed he wasn’t handed his P45 on the spot for that, that could have been like an aircraft crash.” 

For the unversed, P45 was a document given to an employee in the UK at the end of their employment period. There are no clues about Russell’s P45, but Hamilton is nearing the end of his contract, with no confirmation for a spot next year.

Mercedes’ Unconfirmed Lineup for 2024

Lewis Hamilton has been the number 1 driver for Mercedes ever since he joined the team. He has won 6 Drivers’ championships with them. But for the first time during his stint with them, his young teammate is proving to be as good as him.

Moreover, Russell already has a signed contract with Mercedes until the end of 2024. On the other hand, speculations about Hamilton’s contract haven’t led to a concrete conclusion yet.

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Mercedes’ fans have already accepted Russell as their own and he has shown the ability to be the lead driver. Do you think Sir Lewis Hamilton is still on Mercedes’ radar for 2024 or is this how things end in F1 for the 7-time champion?