Bottas gives Russell middle finger after huge crash at F1 Emilia Romagna GP as Brit slaps him on helmet
GEORGE RUSSELL and Valtteri Bottas were left fuming after a huge crash during Sunday's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
An enthralling Formula One race at Imola was halted on Lap 33 after stewards were forced to show the red flag.
Fighting at the back of the points places, Williams ace Russell attempted to overtake Bottas' Mercedes as they raced into Tamburello at 200mph.
Earlier rain meant certain parts of the tack were damp and the Finn moved slightly to the right as his rival came up alongside him, who then jolted onto the grass and spun out.
Russell's car collected Bottas at high speed, sending them into the left-hand barrier and bouncing back across the track to hit the other Armco.
Fortunately, both men were able to walk away from the incident although the Mercedes star, 31, appeared to have been winded and was later given the all-clear from the medical centre.
Russell, 23, fumed over the radio that Bottas had caused the crash as fans and pundits pored over the footage for fault.
Many felt neither driver was solely to blame for the crash.
As the Brit exited the track, he walked past Bottas' vehicle and slapped him on the helmet while earning a middle-finger riposte with both drivers evidently unhappy with the other one.
Russell confirmed afterwards that he had asked Bottas why he was 'trying to kill them both' at that moment.
I asked him if he was trying to kill us both. We're going incredibly fast, we know the conditions.
George Russell
He said: "I was coming up to Valtteri massively fast. I had the slipstream and just as I pulled out, he jolted very slightly to the right - which is a tactical defence that drivers in the past used to do.
"There is a gentleman's agreement that that is not what you do because it is incredibly dangerous. In completely dry conditions I would have been fine, but it put me onto the wet patch and I lost it.
"An unfortunate incident, but we're going at 200mph. You need to respect the speed and the conditions.
"I asked him if he was trying to kill us both. We're going incredibly fast, we know the conditions.
"In his eyes, he's not really fighting for anything. A P9 for him is nothing, but for us at Williams it's everything.
"We're both grown men, we'll have a conversation and talk about it. I'm sure he's upset and frustrated with me, as I am with him.
"I'm probably going 30mph quicker and about to overtake him. Perhaps if I was another driver, he wouldn't have done that."
The pair are both signed to Mercedes with Russell earning experience at Williams.
When called up to replace Lewis Hamilton for last year's Sakhir GP, he pushed Bottas hard and appeared set for a maiden F1 win until a number of unfortunate issues ended his hopes.
Bottas added: "George was close and went for an overtake but there is only one dry line.
"He came over to me trying to say something, but it was completely his fault."
It was a very difficult afternoon for Williams after Russell's team-mate Nicholas Latifi put it in the wall early on.
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Hamilton started Sunday's race on pole but lost his position to Max Verstappen at Turn 1 in the drizzle.
In a tough first half to the Grand Prix, the world champion lost control of his car moments before the crash and broke his front wing in the barrier.
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He was able to escape back to the pits and restarted the race after the red flag period in ninth place.
And Hamilton launched through the pack to claim second and finish behind Verstappen.