Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell made contact during the second qualifying session for the Spanish GP in a bizarre incident.
Hamilton claimed that Russell had eased off down the main straight of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya during Q2 as he was coming up to the back of his teammate, forcing the seven-time champion to the outside and bringing the two cars together.
The Mercedes team were able to repair the damage to Hamilton’s car in time for Q3 with a new front wing, while Russell was eliminated in Q2 in 12th alongside the Red Bull of Sergio Perez.
Hamilton will start the race in Spain from fifth, with Max Verstappen once again taking pole position.
‘Really Dangerous’
Despite the setback, Lewis Hamilton will be starting the Spanish Grand Prix from fifth on the grid. On the other hand, Max Verstappen, a stalwart from Red Bull Racing, managed to snatch pole position once again, continuing his solid performance this season.
Immediately after the incident, Hamilton voiced his concern over the team radio, expressing his belief that Russell’s slowdown on the straight had led to the collision. He stated, “George just backed off. That’s really dangerous. I might have some damage on the car.”
The incident took place towards the end of Q2, which allowed the Mercedes team enough time to replace the front wing on Hamilton’s car, and return it to the track just in time for Q3.
Despite the setback, both drivers and the Mercedes team will be keen to focus on the race after they appeared to make progress up the field in a chaotic qualifying session which swung back and forth.
