"Absolutely the worst thing a racing driver can ever do": Peter Windsor's take on the 'inexcusable' Lewis Hamilton- George Russell clash

F1 pundit Peter Windsor thinks Mercedes driver George Russell got off lightly in his clash with teammate Lewis Hamilton during the Spanish GP qualifying session.

The Briton was unaware of his teammate behind him during the final part of Q2 and moved to the end of the straight when Hamilton was trying to pass him. The damage caused the seven-time world champion to change his front wing, while Russell did not get out of Q2.

During his Live Stream on YouTube, Windsor said:

"I noticed that you haven't mentioned nearly causing a massive accident on the straight in Q2 in Spain with his teammate Lewis Hamilton, which to me, was absolutely the worst thing a racing driver can ever do (...) To pull out on the straight when somebody else behind you is going much quicker and about to pass you and hit them, that's how we lost Gilles Villeneuve."

Windsor added:

"It's the same principle. we are very very lucky that there wasn't a massive shunt there. I'm absolutely staggered George did not get a much stiffer penalty for that (...) What he did is so much worse than all the other stuff that we talk about. It's inexcusable to be pulling out into the path of a third car which is going much quicker."

Lewis Hamilton labels incident as a 'misunderstanding'

The Briton had a different take on the accident. He said it was a misunderstanding between him and Russell as neither was aware of the other's run plans.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Lewis Hamilton said:

“Everyone was starting [their laps at full speed] from Turn 12, so when I came out of Turn 12, there was no one ahead. I got on the gas and started to pick up the pace. Came out of 13 and George looked like he was going into the pitlane and kept going and suddenly he cut back across."

“It was a bit confusing because I didn’t even know he was there. So I was then [following] him just in case he was giving me a tow, he started moving to the right, so I was like, ‘Oh he’s giving me a tow,’ and went to the left. It was a misunderstanding.”

George Russell agreed with Lewis Hamilton's comments and accepted that it was a misunderstanding between the drivers and nothing major happened as a result of the clash in the end.