In a moment of sheer panic at the Australian GP, George Russell’s desperate cries for a red flag highlight the intense danger of his track-stranded predicament.
George Russell recounts his harrowing experience stuck on track during a critical moment at the Australian Grand Prix, sparking a safety debate.
The Mercedes F1 driver crashed while avoiding Fernando Alonso – who was penalized for potentially dangerous driving following a post-race investigation – on the penultimate lap at Albert Park.
Russell’s W15 ended up sideways in the middle of turn seven, exposing the car’s floor to the F1s approaching at approximately 250 km/h at that spot.
Race control initially deployed double yellow flags before switching to a virtual safety car, but team radio revealed Russell’s frantic calls for the race to be immediately halted by a red flag due to his precarious position.
“Red flag! Red flag! Red flag! I’m in the middle of the track! Red flag! Red flag! Red! Red! Red! Red! Red! I’m in the middle! Red! It’s bloody hell!”
Addressing the incident, Russell elaborated on his profound anxiety.
“It’s not a nice place for an F1 car to stop, in the middle of a high-speed turn, on the racing line, with the VSC taking 10 or 15 seconds to be declared.”
“It doesn’t seem like a lot, but you can have three cars arriving at that turn within 10 seconds.”
“When you’re driving at 250 km/h through a turn, as in this case, and there’s a car in the middle of the road…”
“I was really very worried.”
Russell Desperate Red Flag. Russell Desperate Red Flag
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