
© LAT Images for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd
George Russell asks: “Could you imagine the roles being reversed and Max losing that championship in the manner that Lewis lost that championship?”
The war of words started after Max Verstappen said he had “lost all respect” for George Russell following their trip to the stewards after Qatar Grand Prix Qualifying.
Verstappen ultimately received received a one-place grid penalty for impeding George on a warm-up lap, and he later added the Briton “always does it very nicely here in front of the camera, but then when you’re inside with him in person, it’s just a different person”.
When asked about this ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, George accused the Dutch driver of threatening him with bodily harm.
“What he was doing was pretty clear,” Russell said.
“He was going too slow. He was on the racing line and we all had the rules to follow and he didn’t follow it.
“I find his comments pretty ironic when he comes out and says: ‘I’m going to purposely crash into you, I’m going to put you on your f****** head in the wall.’
“For me that is unacceptable and he’s gone beyond the line here and I’m not going to accept it. So somebody’s got to stand up to a guy like this before it gets out of control.”
If you like SilverArrows.Net, consider supporting us by buying us a coffee!
Asked if he is planning on taking any further steps regarding this threat, George said:
“I don’t want to go to the stewards’ office. I had no intention of bringing this up. He said this to me on Saturday night and I woke up on Sunday morning feeling fine.
“But to come out of those press interviews saying that I’m two-faced, I’m the f-word, and this and that, he’s taking this personal.
“What happens on track is professional, what happens in the stewards’ is professional, and like Carlos [Sainz] said to him on Sunday morning, ‘you would have done the exact same thing’.
“And on Sunday in the race he lifted for a yellow, Lando [Norris] doesn’t lift for a yellow and he says to the team ‘check what Lando does’. That’s not personal against Lando, that is just racing.”
George added he also lost respect for Max.
“I’ve known Max for 12 years. I respected him all this time but now I have lost respect for him. We are all fighting on track and it’s never personal.
“Now he’s made it personal and someone needs to stand up to a bully like this – and so far people are letting him get away with murder.”
The Briton then said Max “cannot deal with adversity” on the track, and added he felt the Dutch driver is being “enabled”.
“I think he’s been enabled because nobody has stood up to him. Lewis stood up to him in 2021…
“Could you imagine the roles being reversed and Max losing that championship in the manner that Lewis lost that championship?
“Some of the recent incidents he has been punished. And he punished himself, in Mexico with the reckless overtakes, Budapest with the reckless overtakes. But it’s just in the past he had such a dominant car, he’s not been in this position.
“I think the FIA is pretty on it now, and I don’t think much needs to change with its viewpoint, because he’s going to punish himself one way or another,” Russell concluded.