Lewis Hamilton criticised by George Russell as radio message not picked up by TV revealed

George Russell won the Australian Grand Prix for Mercedes but untelevised team radio shows safety concerns about former team-mate Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc

Previously unreleased team radio footage has revealed Australian Grand Prix winner George Russell criticising the strategies of Ferrari pair Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. Russell and his teammate Kimi Antonelli secured a Mercedes one-two finish at Albert Park, with Leclerc and Hamilton coming in third and fourth respectively.

One incident during the race Down Under sparked controversy when, after pitting on lap 12, Russell found himself catching up to the yet-to-stop Hamilton on Lap 28. The seven-time former world champion defended robustly from his ex-teammate on the high-speed approach to Turn 9.

The manoeuvre blocked Russell as he moved to the inside, although it didn’t prevent him from reclaiming the lead into the corner. Now, unbroadcasted team radio has disclosed that Russell was less than pleased with Hamilton’s defence. He stated: “So much movement in the straight when these guys are defending. It’s mega dangerous.”

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Earlier, Russell was heard grumbling about Hamilton’s teammate, Leclerc, during their fight for the lead in the initial laps of Sunday’s race in Melbourne. The Monegasque was seen pushing Russell to the inside of the track as the Mercedes prepared a move at Turn 11.

In another broadcasted radio transmission, the 28-year-old said: “That was very dangerous by Leclerc, especially [after] what we spoke about in the briefing.”

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Russell has also recently confessed that he is preparing himself for ‘illegal’ allegations from Hamilton ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix. This comes amidst an ongoing discussion about the new engine regulations, with several drivers in the paddock voicing their concerns about the contentious changes – a matter Mercedes are unsurprisingly comfortable with after dominating the Aussie GP.

He stated: “I’m flying with Lewis, so I’m sure I’m going to hear ‘your engine is so good, your compression ratio is illegal’ and this and that. So yeah, I think I’ll just try and get to sleep quite early.”

When asked how he would react if Hamilton did make those jibes, the Mercedes driver humorously replied: “I’d just say ‘shut up and focus on your own stuff’.”

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