Max Verstappen says his feud with George Russell will be “sorted out” after an extraordinary war of words ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The pair were rumored to have entered the pub in the final race of the season following an incident during qualifying for the Qatari Grand Prix last weekend, when Russell accused Verstappen of being a “bully” and threatened to crash into him on purpose.
Verstappen denied the allegation in a Dutch media briefing and hurled further insults at Russell, who had sparked controversy in the past, saying he had “lost all respect” for the Mercedes driver following his behavior during the Qatar stewards’ hearing. that the world champion was deposed from the pole position.
At a drivers-only dinner in Abu Dhabi on Thursday night, Russell spurned the first possible chance of reconciliation when he declined an invitation to sit next to Verstappen.
However, the pair were pictured together at the center of a group photo at the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association end-of-season conference the following evening.
Former F1 driver Alex Wurtz, who is GPDA director along with Russell, posted the photo on his X account with the caption:
After he finished fifth at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Verstappen said Sky Sports F1“At GPDA we may have our differences, but at the end of the day we are always fighting for the same cause.
“It’s okay, we have our differences now. I think it’s important that we all go on vacation now and spend some time with family and friends.
“We’ll be back at it next year. It’ll take care of itself.”
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Max Verstappen says it is important to go on holiday and believes his rift with George Russell will be resolved.
Russell: Feud got more airtime than it deserved
Russell and Verstappen have known each other for more than a decade but have had few battles in F1 due to the different performances of their cars.
They clashed in the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix sprint, leading to a debate shortly after the race.
Their latest Qatar controversy almost overshadowed the final race weekend in Abu Dhabi, with Russell qualifying seventh behind Verstappen in fifth.
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Sky Sports’ Karun Chandhok analyzes how Max Verstappen lobbied for Lando Norris to be fined for lifting at the Qatar Grand Prix and discusses whether the rule should be changed.
“I don’t even think about that. We have bigger and better things to worry about, which is racing, which is much more interesting,” Russell said. Sky Sports F1.
“It probably got a little more airtime than it deserved. At the end of the day, we wanted to show that as a group (GPDA), we’re united, regardless of personal views, and we’re all aligned with what we want.” from sports, FIA and F1.
“That was the message we wanted to show.”
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Red Bull boss Christian Horner continued his criticism of George Russell after the Mercedes driver collided with Max Verstappen at last weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix.
The row ignited the words of Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, who took the opportunity to hit out at team-mate Christian Horner, calling him a “snarling little terrier”.
Asked about Wolff’s comments, Horner jokingly replied:
“They’re not afraid to go up against bigger dogs. I’d rather be a terrier than a wolf.”
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Craig Slater took a closer look at how Qatar’s penalty shoot-out escalated between George Russell and Max Verstappen after George called the Red Bull driver a “thug”.
Rosberg and Patrick on the Verstappen-Russell feud
2016 F1 World Champion Nico Rosberg.
“It’s a show of strength on George’s part to stand his ground and stand up to Max. He’s not having it.”
“Max tells him (allegedly): “I’ll put your head against the wall.” “Okay, you show me what you got.”
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George Russell has hit back at “bully” Max Verstappen after his Qatar penalty, saying someone needs to stand up to the Red Bull driver.
Former IndyCar and NASCAR driver Danica Patrick.
“Maybe what he’s seeing is a little bit of that Lando-Max relationship and how Lando is kind of subservient to Max.
“George goes ‘look, I’m not going to do it, I’m going to stand my ground.’
“The season is ending too and you don’t have to see anyone for a while.”
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Lando Norris has mocked Max Verstappen and George Russell’s clash over the Red Bull driver’s Qatar penalty, saying it was “fun to watch”.
Sky Sports F1 live Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Sunday, December 8
7.10: The third race of the F1 Academy
9.20: F2 feature race
11.30. Grand Prix Sunday. Abu Dhabi GP Rally
13:00 ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX
At 15:00. Checkered flag. Abu Dhabi GP reaction
16:00: Ted’s notebook
*also live on Sky Sports Main Event
Watch the final race of the 2024 Formula 1 season, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, live on Sky Sports F1 at 1pm on Sunday. Get Sky Sports F1 or stream via NOW
