F1 News: George Russell Admission - 'I Almost Crashed When He Screamed Into My Ears'

Alex Harrington | Jun 30, 2024

Jun 18, 2023; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Mercedes driver George Russell (GBR) parades and salutes the crowd before the Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports / David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports

Mercedes driver George Russell clinched his second Formula 1 victory in what turned into a dramatic and tense competition at the front of the grid. His triumph, however, was nearly overshadowed by a heart-stopping moment caused not by the hear-pounding race itself, but from an unexpected source: his team radio.

As the laps ticked down and with only seven remaining, a crash involving Max Verstappen and Lando Norris at Turn 3 shook the leaderboard, handing Russell an unforeseen advantage as the driver surged into first place in front of a damaged McLaren and Red Bull. Both cars sustained punctures, withdrawing them from the contest for the lead, and Russell seized this chance, overtaking the new frontrunners by Turn 8. Until this moment, the race's outcome teetered on the edge with Norris and Verstappen at each others gearboxes for several laps.

George Russell had started the race feeling uneasy about his car, describing it as feeling “strange,” though thorough checks confirmed no technical issues. Early on, he faced stiff competition from his teammate Lewis Hamilton, but after retaking his position, focused on maintaining his lead over Carlos Sainz, and letting the front runners come to him - the long game.

When this came to fruition, he was startled by an Austrian voice through his ear.

In these moments, the unexpected shout from Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff through the team radio took him by surprise. "You can win this," he blared unexpectedly into Russell’s helmet, startling him to the point he nearly lost control.

"I almost crashed when he screamed into my ears, it was that loud, but I think it just goes to show the passion that we all share," Russell later recounted, quoted by Motorsport.com.

Wolff admitted to his error openly in a post-race interview with Sky Germany, recognizing the bad timing of his message while Russell steered through a critical corner carrying plenty of speed.

"That was one of the stupidest things I've ever done, I have to say. I didn't look where he was at all," Wolff confessed. "I just saw the two of them crash into each other. It's the first time that's happened to me in twelve years. He's fully on the brakes at 320 km/h and I tell him that the two of them have collided. I have to think about it first."

Despite the near mishap, Russell regained his composure and continued. The deployment of a virtual safety car helped mitigate his tire overheating issues, a challenge that had plagued him throughout the race.

"My tires were difficult; that virtual safety car helped marginally because my tyres were overheating and that just allowed me to cool them down," Russell explained.

Even as Russell celebrated this victory, he highlighted the grueling effort that led to this achievement.

"It's obviously been a tough couple of years for us, so it feels great to be back on the top step," he reflected.

This is Russell's second win with Mercedes, and the second of his career. The young driver will likely be enjoying his evening before putting his head down once again for the British Grand Prix.