Credits: IMAGO / Motorsport Images
Max Verstappen recently poked George Russell by reminding him about what happened to him in Australia. As the Mercedes driver was speaking about moving on from the incident involving Fernando Alonso during the media day in Japan, Verstappen mocked his fellow F1 star.
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Russell, who spoke to the media for the first time since the incident, mentioned that he met with Alonso in a coffee shop while they were on their way home. Before the British driver could even finish, Verstappen came up with a hilarious jibe. The Dutchman said, “Did you brake test him there?”
Russell, who was speaking about how “it’s nothing personal” on the track “when the helmet is on“, couldn’t resist but laugh upon hearing the Dutchman. The journalists present there had a laugh as well.
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Russell had a race to forget in Melbourne after he experienced a high-speed shunt at Albert Park. As he was racing Alonso for P6, a sudden lapse of concentration saw him slide into the gravel and slam against the barrier with a big impact.
Following the hit, Russell’s W-15 ended up being ricocheted back onto the track. This led to the Mercedes driver desperately calling for the race to be red-flagged, but in vain.
How dangerous was George Russell’s crash in Melbourne?
As George Russell was stranded with his W-15 in the middle of the track following the high-speed shunt, this could have turned into a nightmare if the drivers behind rammed into him. Anticipating this, Russell screamed for help. “Red flag, Red flag, Red flag, I’m in the middle of the track,” squealed the horrified Briton.
Albert Park allows drivers to reach a speed of 250 kilometers [155 mph] per hour on average, and therefore, the risk was quite high. Despite this, the FIA did not pay heed to Russell’s plea and let the race continue under the Virtual Safety Car.
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This decision by the FIA angered a large section of fans who took to social media to vent their frustrations. The fans, in their uproar, questioned the safety of drivers in such a grave situation.
