George Russell reveals details of unanswered phone call to Valtteri Bottas

At the 2021 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, they blamed each other for a collision which forced both drivers out of the race.

Tensions were especially fraught because then-Williams driver Russell was hoping to succeed Bottas at Mercedes, which did eventually happen at the end of 2021.

"I did give him a phone call,” Russell told Beyond The Grid about the crash in Italy.

“He didn’t answer.

"My message was: 'Give me a call when you have a moment'. 

“But we've never spoken about that crash, ever. 

“We've never spoken about me joining Mercedes. We've never spoken about any of that. 

“We often have normal chats with not a single ounce of awkwardness. It's just part of the business, part of the job and it's never personal."

Months after the crash, Mercedes confirmed that Russell would replace Bottas as Lewis Hamilton’s teammate for 2022.

Russell and Bottas’ tetchy history dates back to 2020 when the young Brit was a one-race replacement for the unwell Hamilton at the Sakhir Grand Prix.

Russell, driving a Mercedes for the first time, overtook Bottas in a major sign of intent.

He later claimed it was one of the most important manoeuvres of his career: "Because of how much that meant given the circumstances. 

“The fact I was trying to jump in that Mercedes, and there wasn't a better chance for me to prove what I could do."