George Russell has firmly denied accusations suggesting he incited teammate Kimi Antonelli to take out Max Verstappen during the opening lap of the Austrian Grand Prix — calling the rumors “baseless and completely out of line.”

The 18-year-old Mercedes rookie collided with both Liam Lawson and Max Verstappen at Turn 3 of the Red Bull Ring, ending the reigning world champion’s race and triggering a wave of speculation online. Some critics bizarrely claimed that Antonelli had been “encouraged” by Russell to aggressively target Verstappen — a notion Russell firmly rejects.

“That’s absolute nonsense,” Russell said when questioned by reporters ahead of the British Grand Prix. “Anyone who thinks we’d ever plan something like that clearly doesn’t understand what Formula 1 is about.”

“Kimi made a mistake, and he’s owned it like a man. I’ve spoken to him privately, and we all stand behind him. These things happen — it’s part of the learning curve.”

The FIA has since reviewed the incident and issued Antonelli a three-place grid penalty for the British GP, along with two penalty points on his super licence. According to race stewards, the Mercedes driver was “predominantly at fault” due to locking his rear wheels under braking.

Toto Wolff also dismissed the conspiracy theories in his post-race interview, reinforcing that the error was mechanical rather than tactical.

“I told Kimi, ‘Well, that wasn’t great,’ and he knew it,” Wolff shared. “His tyres locked up, and there was nothing intentional about it. These things have happened to the best — from Schumacher to Hamilton.”

Meanwhile, Verstappen remained calm despite the frustration of retiring from his team’s home race. He acknowledged Antonelli’s apology and encouraged the young driver to learn from the mistake.

With the title fight intensifying and the pressure mounting, Russell emphasized the importance of unity within the paddock.

“We’re all here to race hard and fair. What happened in Austria was unfortunate, but I think we all want to move forward now. Kimi’s a huge talent, and I’m sure he’ll bounce back stronger at Silverstone.”

As the F1 circus rolls into Britain, the heat may be rising — but Russell’s message is clear: “Let’s keep the racing clean, and leave the drama to the track.”