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George Russell about Max Vertappen – “So far people are letting him get away with murder”

Carl Harrison by Carl Harrison
December 11, 2024
in Motorsports
Reading Time: 4 mins read
0
IT’S OFFICIAL F1’s New clash: Verstappen vs. Russell, A Rivalry Set to Ignite the Sport with threats that could result in ‘HIGH SPEED CRASHES’

Formula One F1 - Qatar Grand Prix - Lusail International Circuit, Lusail, Qatar - November 30, 2024 Red Bull's Max Verstappen after qualifying in pole position along with second placed Mercedes' George Russell REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed

George Russell, still on the subject of the Max Verstappen incident, went further than most could have imagined, stating and accusing the driver Max Vertappen in a direct and unabashed manner

“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, who received a penalty which took him out of the fight for the race victory] 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.” “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,” he added.

“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.”

Citing controversial on-track incidents involving the Dutchman over recent years, Russell also claimed Verstappen “cannot deal with adversity” when things do not go his way on track.

Asked during his written media briefing if he felt Verstappen was being ‘enabled’, Russell added: “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.”

Verstappen doubles down on Russell criticism
Speaking in the Drivers’ Press Conference at the Yas Marina Circuit before Russell held his own media engagements on Thursday, Verstappen said he had not changed his mind about anything in regards to the Qatar qualifying incident and its aftermath.

“No regrets at all because I meant everything I said, and it’s still the same,” said Verstappen.

“If I had to do it again, maybe I would have said even more, knowing the outcome of the race result.”

“I still can’t believe that someone can be like that in the stewards’ room. For me that was so unacceptable because, I mean we’re all racing drivers, we all have a lot of respect for each other, we even play sports together, you travel together.

“And, of course, you have moments where you get together, you crash or whatever and you’re not happy. In my whole career I’ve never experienced what I’ve experienced in the stewards’ room in Qatar, and for me that was really unacceptable.”

Drivers have to adhere to a minimum lap time on slow laps in qualifying and, while Verstappen was found to have gone too slowly on his final Q3 warm-up lap, he said that was because he was getting out of the way of two other cars.

Like Verstappen, Russell was on a preparation lap but was travelling at a faster speed towards the end of the lap when he reached the back of the Red Bull and then took to the kerb and gravel.

“I just never expected someone to really try and actively get someone a penalty that badly and lying about why I was doing what I was doing – but clearly it had an influence to them,” added Verstappen.

“It was just really not nice and actually really shocking what was going on there.”

On the incident itself, Verstappen said he was “trying to be nice” by letting the two cars – Lando Norris and Fernando Alonso – pass before Russell arrived behind him.

Asked if his grid penalty could now set a precedent, Verstappen quipped: “I’m going to go flat out on my cool lap and I’m going to act like I’m going to crash with everyone!

“No, honestly, I just didn’t understand. I didn’t even know why I was in there. Honestly, when I was in there I was just trying to explain the story behind it. I was just trying to be nice.”

He added: “Then I see someone flying in my mirror acting like the most dangerous situation just happened, he almost killed himself or something – it was unbelievable – and we were all on a slow lap, it’s not even like someone was on a fast lap. So when I got called to the stewards it was a big surprise to me because I didn’t really impede anyone.

“I think also on a slow lap we all drive on our normal lines because we are all trying not to pick up dirt anyway, it’s not necessary when everyone is driving slow, but I don’t know how of course they came to that conclusion.

“It was, of course, for me very disappointing because basically by actually trying to stay out of trouble you put yourself in trouble. Also I think at that point of the season towards the end of the season I don’t want to be fighting with anyone on track that they come after me after qualifying ‘why did you ruin my lap to start my lap, what are you doing?'”

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