Hamilton addresses Russell relationship after Qatar
Lewis Hamilton has addressed the rumors surrounding his relationship with George Russell following their collision during the Qatar Grand Prix. On the first lap of the race at Lusail, Hamilton attempted to pass Russell and Max Verstappen on the outside of Turn 1 using his Soft tires. However, he misjudged the turn-in point and collided with Russell, resulting in his own retirement from the race. Russell went on to finish fourth.
This is not the first on-track incident involving the two drivers. They have previously made contact during qualifying for the Spanish and Belgian Grand Prix, respectively. In Japan, they engaged in intense wheel-to-wheel racing. However, Hamilton was quick to take full responsibility for the incident in Qatar and denied any breakdown in his relationship with Russell. The stewards fined him €50,000 and issued a non-driving reprimand for crossing the live race track under Safety Car conditions on foot.
When asked by the media if the incident had caused any tension between the two drivers, Hamilton emphasized that he and Russell have a good relationship and that they are committed to moving forward. He stated that they would discuss the matter and work together to avoid similar incidents.
Max Verstappen went on to win the Grand Prix, as we predicted. This solidifies his third driver title in a row. Red Bull also won its second constructors championship in a row. Aside from Hamilton’s potential infighting, he has now been completely replaced as the best driver in F1, for the moment.