Watch: Lewis Hamilton and George Russell collide during the 2023 F1 Spanish GP Qualifying

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton and George Russell collided during the 2023 Spanish GP qualifying after a lack of clarity and communication in the dying stages of the Q2 session.

In an eventful qualifying session in Circuit de Catalunya, the British pair collided with each other. They caused some damage to their cars after Russell supposedly blocked Lewis Hamilton's fast run at the end of the Q2 session.

The young Brit was in the danger zone and had to go again to get himself safe for the session when he interrupted the fast run of his teammate, who was safely into the Q3.

In his post-race interview, George Russell said:

“I hope that wasn’t part of the plan, because it’s not a good plan if it is! No, I think it was just a big miscommunication, a lot of traffic on the out-lap, I was looking ahead trying to take the slipstream from Carlos [Sainz], and the next thing [I know] Lewis was there.

He added:

“Fortunately, nothing big happened, but I’m just a bit disappointed to be out in Q2. I was really struggling with the car the whole session, I wasn’t feeling the same as it was in practice, and that was kind of the maximum I could get out of it. Not ideal, but it’s a long race tomorrow.”

“It was a really, really great session and massively encouraging to us to be competitive" - Lewis Hamilton

The seven-time world champion stated that it was a really good qualifying session after finishing P5.

As per F1.com, Lewis Hamilton said:

“It was interesting because during the session I was thinking, ‘Damn, yesterday I said I wasn’t going to get into Q3 or into the top 10, and basically I was eating my words’. It was a really, really great session and massively encouraging to us to be competitive. I couldn’t believe I was fighting for the top three at one stage.

He added:

“Of course, my last lap wasn’t the dream lap, I was second basically all the way until Turn 10 and I had a snap and lost two-tenths. On one side I’m gutted, but one side of me is really grateful just to be up there, up in the fight, and have that pace. My goal is to win somehow. I’m going to try and drive the wheels off the car and try and get up as high as I can.”

It will be fascinating to see where Lewis Hamilton ends up in the race after starting from P5.