The Formula 1 race track in Barcelona is inextricably linked to the collision between the two Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg in 2016. Seven years later, there was another Mercedes crash in qualifying for the 2023 Spanish Grand Prix!
This time, in Q2, Hamilton collided with teammate George Russell, who was pulling to the left on the home stretch, unaware that the record champion was trying to overtake him on the left. So there was no more room for Hamilton.
He hit grass with the left side of the car and was hit by Russell on the right, damaging his front wing. “You didn’t tell me there was a car behind me,” Russell complained to his team on the radio after the incident.
Hamilton described the radio incident as follows: “George just let off the gas, it’s really dangerous, my car could be damaged.” Lucky in disguise: Hamilton still made it into Q3 and there in fifth place.
Russell, on the other hand, was only twelfth and was eliminated in Q2. And things could get even worse for the Brit, as race stewards have officially opened an investigation into him following the collision.
The stewards’ subpoena states that Russell “abnormally” changed lanes in the situation, causing the accident with Hamilton. He is now also threatened with a grid penalty for the race on Sunday.
“I didn’t even know he was there,” Russell emphasized again after qualifying on “Sky” and explained: “I started my lap and tried to take a slipstream from Sainz. Fortunately, nothing bad happened.”
A decision on whether Russell will receive a penalty is expected later this evening.