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Russell denies giving Bottas 'slap' after crash

:Headline: Russell denies giving Bottas 'slap' after crash:
George Russell has denied slapping Valtteri Bottas' on the helmet after their high speed Imola crash.
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George Russell has denied slapping Valtteri Bottas' on the helmet after their high speed Imola crash.

The Williams driver, who appears to be in direct competition for the works Mercedes seat for 2022, has now apologised for lashing out at Bottas verbally and physically before the Finn had emerged from his wrecked car on Sunday.

But Russell, 23, denies giving his rival a 'slap'.

"Slap is a very strong word," he insisted. "It was nothing more than a brush. I doubt he even felt it. It was more of a 'what are you doing?'

"I'm sure maybe a footballer would have reacted in a very different way but there was nothing menacing there. It was almost like throwing your arms in the air."

Russell was also asked about boss Toto Wolff's claim that, given his status as a Mercedes development driver, he should have known better about getting into a wheel-to-wheel duel with a Mercedes.

"Well, I've never been in a position where I'm fighting against a Mercedes," he responded. "Williams hasn't been there in probably five years, so it hasn't even crossed my mind how I would fight against a Mercedes."

As for 31-year-old Bottas, the Finn has kept a low profile since the crash but he described Russell's driving as "overly aggressive".

"He has been the reserve driver here for a long time," Bottas is quoted by Bild newspaper, "but I've never worked closely with him." body check tags ::

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TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool119112161528
2Manchester CityMan City127232217523
3Chelsea126422314922
4Arsenal126422112922
5Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton126422116522
6Tottenham HotspurSpurs1261527131419
7Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest125431513219
8Aston Villa125431919019
9Newcastle UnitedNewcastle115331311218
10Fulham125341717018
11Brentford125252222017
12Manchester UnitedMan Utd114341212015
13Bournemouth124351617-115
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham113351319-612
15Everton122551017-711
16Leicester CityLeicester122461523-810
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves122372028-89
18Crystal Palace121561017-78
19Ipswich TownIpswich111551222-108
20Southampton11119721-144
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