After an encouraging qualifying for the 2020 Emilia Romagna where he would finish thirteenth Williams racing's George Russell would start Sunday's race with the hope that he could secure the teams first points of the 2020 season. In previous races George had been in a similar position to score points but there had been issues outside the team's and George's control. Such as the race at Mugello where George was comfortably in the points only to have a Safety Car period end his chances with others drivers being able to pass him in the closing stages of the race.

But the race in Imola would see George make a forceful positive start to  the race. Over the course of the opening stages of the race George was able to move into a position where a points scoring result was looking a very strong possibility. But again George would be faced with another Safety Car Period and it was at thtis time that George's race turned into a disaster. In what George would later say was as a “stupid mistake”, he would crash when running behind the Safety Car.

The race had seen George make an early pit stop at Imola, and with a reset of the race as a Safety Car was deployed when Verstappen’s was to suffer a failure with his car that would see him in the gravel  the chances of George finishing in the points was looking very good.

But on the approach to Acqua Minerale George would accelerate his car only to have it brake away as a result of been on cold tyres after running behind the Safety Car for a period of time. George's car would crash into the barrier causing major damage to his car and seeing him forced into retirement. George was able to get out of his damaged Williams and could be seen sitting with his helmet still on with the visor down no doubt totally gutted by what just happened.

In a later interview started with the question George what do you have to do to get a point George answered: “I don’t know, not make stupid mistakes like I did today. It was a race I was pushing as hard as I could from lap one until then, the most aggressive I’ve ever been.

“I wanted to continue that under the Safety Car as I knew that with the guys behind me on the new hot tyres, myself on the old tyres, if I had any chance of getting a point, I needed to be super aggressive. As soon as I lost the car, I was already in the wall. It’s gutting. I’m really sorry for all the guys.

He added: “I was accelerating and I was changing gear at the same time. With cold tyres, this sometimes happens with cold tyres. It was my job to work them as hard as I could. There’s no excuses. Go away and learn from this and try and come back stronger next time.”

As for whether he could take any positives from a race where he crashed his car. George responded: “We were in that position on merit. I managed to jump Ocon, pulled away from him in the early phase of the race and I was the same pace as the McLarens ahead of me. The car was alive this weekend. It will come.

“We’re understanding it better and better, week in, week out. My first laps have been poor. I made quite a bold, aggressive move on Sebastian in the first corner, which is something I have been wanting to work on, and like I say, I feel like some times I’ve been too conservative in races and definitely found the limit today.”

There was no doubt in the manner and words from George that he was totally gutted by his mistake that had seen the Williams team lose what was looking at their best chance of scoring points this season so far.

But George would see words of support come from several other Formula One drivers who have gone through the same disappointment. One drivers was race winner Lewis Hamilton who said: "George, you were giving it your all. It’s ok to make mistakes and it’s ok to feel the pain. I’ve made more than I can remember. "You’re great bud. Keep your head up and keep pushing, on to the next one."

Haas' Romain Grosjean also commented saying: "Man, I know the feeling. Will take some time to forget it, but what you do is mega. Keep pushing."

And F1 veteran and Channel 4 commentator David Coulthard also offered a message of support.

Coulthard said: "Small blip in a long career ahead of you in F1. Don’t worry about and keep showing us what you’re made of."