George Russell’s desperate team radio plea for red flag after scary crash

George Russell desperately called for a red flag intervention over team radio after his scary crash at the F1 Australian Grand Prix.

The Mercedes driver was chasing down Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin in a battle for sixth place in the closing stages of the Melbourne race when he suffered a huge shunt on the last lap.

Russell lost control at Turn 6 and slammed into the outside barrier after a trip through the gravel, before his car skated back onto the track and came to a rest on its side.

Worried he was now in the direct firing line of cars approaching from behind, Russell begged for a red flag to be deployed over team radio.

"Red flag, red flag, red flag," Russell screamed. "I'm in the middle of the track. Red flag, red flag! Red, red, red, red, red. I'm in the middle. Red! F***ing hell.”

Race control instead opted for a Virtual Safety Car to enable the field to slowly complete the final lap of a dramatic race.

Russell was checked over by the FIA medical team but was unhurt in the accident.

Alonso was punished by the FIA stewards with a 20-second time penalty.

He was cited for "potentially dangerous" driving.

• Fernando Alonso punished for “potentially dangerous” last-lap George Russell move

Speaking to Sky after the race, Russell was reluctant to accuse Alonso of brake-testing him.

"My take is that I have gone off, and that is on me, but I was half a second behind Fernando 100m before the corner and then suddenly he came towards me extremely quick and I was right in his gearbox," Russell said.

"I don't know if he has got a problem or not. We are off to see the stewards so that is a bit bizarre in a circumstance like this. I've got nothing more to say right now, I need to see everything, I am disappointed to end the race like that.”

Alonso claimed to be nursing a problem with his energy deployment in the final stages of the race.