George Russell apologises to Valtteri Bottas after Imola outburst

George Russell apologised publicly to Formula One rival Valtteri Bottas on Monday for his behaviour after the pair collided on the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. “Yesterday wasn’t my proudest day,” the 23-year-old Briton stated on social media.
The Williams driver had been making an attempt to cross Bottas’ Mercedes for ninth place on Sunday after they made contact at pace and crashed out, bringing the race to a halt. Neither was damage and stewards declared it a racing incident. Russell climbed out and confronted Bottas, nonetheless sitting in his wrecked automobile, and requested him whether or not he had wished to kill them each.

Some ideas on yesterday: pic.twitter.com/xU07da7DCz
— George Russell (@GeorgeRussell63) April 19, 2021
He additionally accused the Finn of breaking a ‘gentleman’s settlement’ with a harmful tactical transfer and recommended Bottas had been more durable with him as a result of Russell, a Mercedes-managed driver, may be within the body to take his seat. “Having had time to reflect on what happened afterwards, I know I should have handled the whole situation better,” stated Russell.
“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.” Russell, whose Mercedes-powered crew have scored only one level within the final two seasons, stated he had realized some powerful classes and could be a greater driver and particular person for the expertise.
He recognised he had taken a threat in making an attempt to cross, it had not paid off and he took accountability for it. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff stated on Sunday that Bottas’s automobile was virtually a write-off and, with a price cap in impact, the price of repairs may restrict future upgrades.