Mercedes had cause for celebration with Lewis Hamilton finishing second, and Russ𒀰ell coming third, behind race-winner Max Verstappen of Red Bull.

But they had to overcome a feisty moment when team prꦿincip🌟al Wolff needed to intervene via the team radio.

Russell was battling Sergio Perez for third but felt the Red Bull driver had gained an illegal a💝dvant🌞age.

Russ♐ell implored his team to demand a penalty: “Come on, gu🐠ys. We need to do something. He went straight on."

His engi💛neer replied: "George, we were not ahead.” 

🍷Russell argued: “Front wheel to rear wheel is the rule. It’s the rule when you're attacking - I was definitely front wheel to rear wheel.”

Wolff then interrupted and said: “🧔George,🐻 keep your head down, you can hunt him down.”

Wolff later explained to Sky why he took action:𓂃 “As a driver you get so upset with the situation. Yo꧂u feel that what has happened is not right.

“You also don’t see the helicopter view.

“I think he had pac✨e at the time, and could catch him on track.

“So I wanted to re-set him mentally.”

Wolff’s decision paid off wh♍en Mercedes ended the F1 French Grand Prix with both drivers on the podium, the first time that has happened in 2022.

ꦬR𒀰ussell later reflected: “Emotions were high for all of us.

“I felt that I had done a mega-move on Checo but 🎀didn’t get to keep the position.

“I enjoyed hearing Toto on the radio!

“We’re in this together. When you sit in the car you can feel alone. You don’🐬t know what the engineers look at. The engineers don’t know how we feel in the ca🌠r.

“Sometimes h🍬aving these exchanges bring us closer together.”