George Russell has strongly criticized Max Verstappen following their confrontation in the stewards’ room after qualifying for the Qatar Grand Prix. The tension between the two drivers stemmed from an incident in Q3 when Russell was forced to swerve to avoid Verstappen’s slow-moving Red Bull, which almost caused a collision. Despite this scare, both drivers secured the front row for the race, with Verstappen initially claiming pole position, but the positions were reversed after the stewards determined they had been driving unnecessarily slowly. Verstappen received a one-place grid penalty, dropping him to second, while Russell inherited the pole.
The fallout continued after the session, with Verstappen expressing frustration over the events in the stewards’ room. “Honestly, I couldn’t believe that I got it. But in a way, I was also like, yeah, I’m not surprised anymore in the world that I live in,” Verstappen said in the post-race FIA press conference. He expressed disappointment, claiming that he had been trying to be “nice” by not blocking other drivers, only to be penalized for it. Verstappen also noted that the situation was frustrating because he felt like he wasn’t being understood in the stewards’ room, stating, “I was talking to a brick wall.”
Russell, however, did not take kindly to Verstappen’s reaction. He responded by recounting the incident from his perspective, emphasizing that his actions had been entirely based on following his delta time and that he had not sought to penalize Verstappen. He explained, “I wasn’t trying to get Max a penalty at this point in qualifying. I was in first position.” Russell also criticized Verstappen’s behavior in the stewards’ room, stating that he was already swearing at the stewards and being overly aggressive. “Someone has to stand up to someone who thinks he’s above the law,” Russell added, revealing that he had lost respect for Verstappen due to his actions, especially after a long history of mutual respect.
Russell further elaborated on Verstappen’s tendency to lash out when things don’t go his way, mentioning past incidents, such as when Verstappen shoved Esteban Ocon at the 2018 Brazilian Grand Prix and his aggressive interactions with other drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris. He criticized Verstappen for not handling adversity well and resorting to anger and aggression, saying, “Whenever anything is not going his way, he lashes out with unnecessary anger and borderline violence.” Russell concluded that he no longer respected Verstappen and believed he could be a better role model for the sport.
This war of words between the two drivers adds another layer to their growing rivalry, which has already seen multiple clashes over the years. With both drivers vying for the top positions on the grid, it seems clear that their relationship will remain contentious for the foreseeable future.
