George Russell has shed some light on the incident that occurred between him and his Mercedes teammate, Lewis Hamilton, during qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix.
The collision took place when both drivers were starting their flying laps at the end of the Q2 session, with Hamilton benefitting from the slipstream down the pit straight.
As Hamilton closed in, Russell moved towards the left side of the track, resulting in damage to Hamilton’s front wing and catching the seven-time world champion off guard.
Russell promptly apologised over the radio, but both drivers were perplexed about how the incident unfolded. Now, Russell has provided some clarity on what happened inside the cockpit.

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During an interview on the BBC Chequered Flag podcast, Russell explained, “I hope that wasn’t part of the plan because [that’s] not a good plan if it is, but no, I think it was just a big miscommunication. [There was] a lot of traffic on the out lap, and I was just trying to take the slipstream from Carlos [Sainz], and next thing Lewis was there.”
“So yeah, fortunate nothing big happened but just a bit disappointed to be out in Q2.”
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Russell acknowledged that it was fortunate that the incident didn’t result in more significant consequences but expressed disappointment in being knocked out in Q2.
He admitted that he struggled with the car’s performance throughout the session, feeling that it didn’t match the same level as in practice.
Despite the setback, Russell remained focused on the upcoming race, recognising that it will be a long one. He clawed his way back through the grid to secure P3 – his first podium of the season.