Why George Russell once left Toto Wolff absolutely furious after costly Emilia Romagna Grand Prix incident

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George Russell has transformed into an incredibly consistent and dependable number one driver for Mercedes’ Formula 1 team.

Before he was promoted to Mercedes, the Brit spent three years at Williams honing his speed and racecraft.

It meant that when Russell arrived at the German manufacturer, he had earned his place and was ready to pose a challenge to those at the front.

However, one moment at the 2021 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix threatened to thwart the whole trajectory of his career.

Williams blocked Russell from leaving for as long as they could, aware of how special and valuable his talents were.

Russell may switch F1 teams in 2026 with his current contract set to expire soon, ending a nine-year partnership with his employer. It’s unlikely to happen, though.

READ MORE: George Russell reveals that Mercedes ‘never’ did one thing in F1 contract talks with Lewis Hamilton

George Russell left Toto Wolff furious at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix after big crash

In mixed conditions at the 2021 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Russell found himself battling with Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas, whose seat he was hunting for the year after.

Attempting to overtake the Finn on a drying track caused chaos, after he touched a wet part of the circuit and speared into the side of his rival. It was a massive shunt.

Speaking after the race, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff was not happy with his driver and slammed accusations that Bottas may have treated Russell differently.

“That is b——- The whole situation is absolutely not amusing for us,” he said, according to the Independent. “I am going to speak to George and make my point,” he said.

“It was a big shunt, our car is a write-off, and in a cost-cap environment, that is certainly not what we needed and it is probably going to limit upgrades for us.”

READ MORE: Juan Pablo Montoya tells Toto Wolff clear ultimatum to give George Russell if Mercedes can sign Max Verstappen

How did George Russell feel after his crash at the 2021 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix?

Although frustrated at first, Russell’s response to the crash soon changed after being given time to reflect on the incident.

He went on to admit that he risked too much while trying to overtake Bottas. It cost Mercedes a lot of money in damages.

In the first year of the cost cap era, it was especially detrimental to development to have a major crash. It may have swayed the title fight.

Overall, the 2021 season made for sensational viewing and it made for one of the most exciting spectacles of all time. It’s unlikely that anything like that will ever be witnessed again.