There was an incredibly awkward ending to Q2 for Mercedes as George Russell and Lewis Hamilton collided on the main straight at the Circuit de Catalunya.
The younger Brit had let Carlos Sainz through in the final sector before commencing his lap.
However, his teammate Lewis Hamilton was not far behind the Spaniard. Russell didn’t notice him and cut back across in front of the Brit before turn 14.
As they crossed the line, Russell went looking for a slipstream from Sainz who was letting him back through off the racing line.
Unbeknownst to both of them, Hamilton was getting a double tow from both. Russell drifted back towards the racing line and made contact with his teammate. Hamilton’s front wing was broken but made it safely in; Russell failed to join him in Q3.
A few hours after qualifying finished, Russell was handed a formal warning for his driving.
Speaking about it post-qualifying, the winner of last year’s São Paulo Grand Prix talked about what happened from his point of view.
“Yeah it was just a massive miscommunication. I was just looking ahead trying to get the slipstream from Carlos and next thing Lewis was there.
“We need to talk internally about how that happened because between two teammates that should never happen. But it wasn’t either ones fault.”
Hamilton gave his version of events as well, stating he thought Russell was boxing when he was on the inside of turn 13 after the 25-year-old had let Sainz by.
“Yep, well we’ve sent out at much different times. I was being given my time, when I was on my out lap, everyone’s starting from that turn 12, so when I came out turn 12 there was no one ahead, so I got on the gas and started to pick up the pace.
“I came around 13 and George looked like he was going into the pit lane, so I kept it going and then suddenly he cut back across, which was obviously a bit confusing because I didn’t even know he was there. I think he had bailed out his first lap or something like that.
“So then I was towing him, just in case he was giving me a tow and he started to move to the right, so I was like, ‘oh he is giving me a tow.’
“So I went to the left and he started coming back across, so just a misunderstanding.”
Hamilton added he had shaken hands with his teammates following the incident.
“Yeah, I just went to him just now. I just went and shook his hand, that was it.”
Photo credit: Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team
