Russell explains himself after angry radio message directed at Hamilton
F1 News
George Russell has commented on his outburst on the team radio which was targeted at his teammate Lewis Hamilton. It was a solid afternoon for the Mercedes drivers, as Hamilton and Russell were able to lock out the second row of the grid with P3 and P4, respectively. However, Russell was quizzed on his strong words over the radio at the end of Q2.
During qualifying at the Spanish Grand Prix, Russell said over the team radio, "What the f*** was Lewis doing prepping that lap?" Russell's engineer told the Brit they would talk about it afterwards in the debrief, and it did not affect either driver as they both made it into Q2, but it was a reaction that prompted questions after Saturday's session.
Russell's reasoning behind the angry message to Hamilton
"Lewis was quite a long way ahead of me," said Russell, explaining the reasoning behind his reaction. "I think we both had our eyes on the same driver for a slipstream opening the lap, so I was just focusing my mirrors so as not to impede, and then I looked up and Lewis was right in front of me, trying to take the tow from Ocon."
"Obviously, in the moment, when you're trying to give it everything, you're a bit hot-headed. However, its nothing gained, nothing lost," concluded Russell, who is now looking towards Sunday's race, with both Mercedes in a positive position to earn their first double-podium of the season in 2024.