Team radio has revealed British driver George Russell’s case for a red flag after he crashed at 100mph on the final lap of the Australian Grand Prix.
Russell’s car was left teetering on its side at turns six and seven after sliding through the gravel into the barriers at high speed while battling Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso.
The Briton was able to move freely immediately after the collision, which left debris all over the track and forced the race to be completed under the virtual safety car.
Audio released after the Grand Prix has revealed Russell’s panicked state as his car was left standing in the middle of the track with the floor facing towards moving cars.
‘Red flag, red flag, I’m in the middle of the track, red flag, red flag. Red, red, red, red, red,” Russell shouted on the team radio.
George Russell’s car ended up on its side after his crash on the final lap of the Australian Grand Prix
The British star crashed into the barriers before eventually landing in the middle of the track
Russell emerged from the crash unscathed, but he was quick to insist that a red flag should be called
‘I’m in the middle. Red. F***. Why so long?’
Russell’s Mercedes team informed the Briton that a virtual safety car had been used instead of a red flag at the F1 control.
A medical vehicle was also sent to the scene of Russell’s accident.
“George, are you okay?” a member of the team asked Russell.
“I’m fine, I’m standing in the middle of the track, half upside down,” he replied.
“I just completely lost it, sorry guys.”
The stewards later announced that Fernando Alonso had been given a 20-second penalty after determining his driving before Russell crashed was ‘potentially dangerous’.
“Alonso explained to the stewards that he intended to approach Turn 6 differently, lifting earlier and entering the corner at less speed, to get a better exit,” the stewards’ report said.
‘Russell explained to the stewards that Alonso’s maneuver was erratic from his perspective, took him by surprise and caused him to close unusually quickly, and with the resulting lower downforce at the apex of the corner, he lost control and crashed at the exit. from the corner.
“There was no contact between the cars.”
Instead, a virtual safety car was imposed and a medical team was sent to Russell
The British driver was battling Fernando Alonso for sixth place when the crash occurred
Alonso received a 20-second time penalty, dropping from sixth to eighth place in the race
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz claimed victory in Melbourne, while Max Verstappen was forced to retire
The report concluded that Alonso was driving in a manner that was ‘at least ‘potentially dangerous’ given the very high speed of that point of the track.
Alonso, who dropped from sixth to eighth place after his penalty, also received three points on his license.
Russell, who walked away unscathed, became embroiled in a social media scandal before the race when two Australian influencers were convicted for posting images of him using a urinal in Albert Park in a shocking invasion of privacy.
Carlos from Ferrari Sainz made a remarkable comeback from surgery to win the dramatic race after Red Bull superstar Max Verstappen’s bid to equal his own Formula 1 record went up in smoke.
Two weeks after being sidelined from the race in Saudi Arabia due to appendicitis, Sainz claimed the third victory of his F1 career, and the first at Albert Park.
The Spaniard took the checkered flag ahead of Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, while McLaren’s Lando Norris finished third.
McLaren’s rising star Oscar Piastri finished fourth.