General
Russell spoke to Alonso after brake test: "I don't take it personally"
The Australian Grand Prix ended dramatically around the Albert Park Circuit, as George Russell's car ended up lying across the track after colliding with the wall. The Brit was judged to have been brake-tested by Fernando Alonso, causing the Mercedes driver to lose control of his W15. Alonso received a penalty for his actions, which Russell believes was the right thing to have happened.
Since the incident between Russell and Alonso, there has been a lot of talk throughout the Formula 1 world about brake testing, and whether there needs to be a formal drivers' briefing and discussion about this issue.
Russell says crash 'caught me by surprise'
Speaking at Thursday's press conference at the Japanese Grand Prix, Russell was once again questioned about his final-lap crash in Australia, and said that it was "a bit of a strange situation", but believes that Alonso's penalty was the correct decision if the same situation arises again during the rest of the season.
"As I said at the time, I was totally caught by surprise. I was actually looking at the steering wheel, making a switch change in the straight, which, we all do across the lap. When I looked up, I was on Fernando's gearbox, and it was too late. The next thing I know, I am in the wall.
"I think if it were not to have been penalised, it would have really opened the can of worms for the rest of the season. And the junior categories can also say: 'Are you allowed to brake in a straight? Are you allowed to slow down, change gear, accelerate, do something semi-erratic?'
I don't take anything personally with what happened with Fernando. It probably had bigger consequences than it should have. But, as I said, if it went unpenalised, can you just break in the middle of a straight? I don't have much more to say, really."
Russell also commented on whether he and Alonso had cleared any issues that they had about the last-lap crash, and the Brit responded: "Yes. We actually saw each other back home, we just bumped into each other coincidentally in a coffee shop!
"It's nothing personal. When the helmet's on, we're all fighters and competing. When the helmet's off, you have respect for one another. So, of course, a lot of emotions in the moment."
Sainz and Verstappen speak on brake testing
Race-winner in Australia Carlos Sainz and championship leader Max Verstappen were also asked about this issue, with Sainz saying he had "nothing more to add."
"I think that corner just needs to be reviewed, which is something I said in the last drivers briefing. But it's not the first time that after a collision, the car comes back into the track, and it's a corner that we're doing 150k kph, and it's blind.
"I just don't like the last few incidents we've seen in this corner, and in other categories too. It doesn't give me a very good feeling. It's a great corner, don't get me wrong, I love driving in a qualifying lap. But when it comes to racing, there's been just too many examples of a car coming back onto a track and being very narrow there, and I just think it's a corner that needs to be a bit reviewed."
Verstappen finally added: "We'll discuss all this in the drivers briefing."