George Russell appears to slap Valtteri Bottas on helmet after high-speed crash George Russell (pictured) crashed with Valtteri Bottas in Italy (Luca Bruno/AP) British driver George Russell appeared to slap Valtteri Bottas on the helmet after their high-speed crash at Sunday’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Russell was attempting to pass Bottas around the outside of the Finn’s Mercedes on the 200mph run down to the opening corner in Imola. But the Williams driver dipped his front-right tyre on to the damp grass, causing him to lose control of his Williams and crash into Bottas. ⚠️ SAFETY CAR (LAP 33/63) ⚠️