George Russell refused to speak to an Argentine F1 reporter who allegedly gloated about Argentina's World Cup semi-final victory over England. The incident occurred at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps as the Mercedes driver prepared for this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix.
Russell's preparations took place less than 24 hours after England's 2-1 loss to Argentina. As he walked past the South American journalist, Russell could be heard saying "No, no, no" while maintaining his stride, showing the palm of his hand to the presenter.
Photographer captures the moment
F1 photographer Kym Illman captured the incident, noting that the Argentine reporter appeared to take pleasure in reminding Russell of the result. Considering the disappointing nature of England's defeat, few would blame Russell for avoiding the encounter.
Russell is a passionate football fan who regularly posts pictures of himself watching England at the World Cup. He will need to put the disappointment aside for this weekend's action in Belgium.
Russell's recent F1 performance
Russell placed second behind Charles Leclerc at the British Grand Prix nearly two weeks ago, securing his position behind Kimi Antonelli. Reflecting on the 2024 Belgian GP, where he crossed the line first but was disqualified due to his Mercedes being underweight, Russell said: "No, I don't feel like it owes me anything, to be honest. Because that race still is a race that I'll remember. And I'll probably remember it more. The day I'm lying on my deathbed, I'll probably remember that race because of what happened."
He added: "I wasn't in a championship fight that year. Of course, it was a shame not to keep the trophy. But that was a great race. And it's a track that I love. But it's going to be difficult this year, like Shov [Andrew Shovlin] said, with the energy management and a lot of challenges. It's a tough track at the best of times."
