ADVERTISEMENT
AutoGear
  • Latest News
  • AutoGear TV
  • Sustainable Mobility
  • Motorsports
    • Circuits
    • Rally
    • Rally raid
    • WEC
  • English
    • Português
    • Italiano
    • Français
    • Español
    • English
    • Deutsch
    • 日本語
  • STANDINGS
No Result
View All Result
AutoGear
  • Latest News
  • AutoGear TV
  • Sustainable Mobility
  • Motorsports
    • Circuits
    • Rally
    • Rally raid
    • WEC
  • English
    • Português
    • Italiano
    • Français
    • Español
    • English
    • Deutsch
    • 日本語
  • STANDINGS
No Result
View All Result
AutoGear

Mercedes’ George Russell Reveals Verstappen’s Struggles and Controversial Masi Incident in 2021 F1 Season

Carl Harrison by Carl Harrison
February 21, 2025
in Motorsports
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0
Mercedes’ George Russell Reveals Verstappen’s Struggles and Controversial Masi Incident in 2021 F1 Season
ADVERTISEMENT

Mercedes driver, George Russell, has made a startling assertion about the former Formula 1 director, Michael Masi. Russell suggests that had Max Verstappen not clinched the contentious 2021 world championship, Masi might have faced a life-threatening situation.

Verstappen’s victory in the championship came under controversial circumstances. Lewis Hamilton, who had been dominating the season, was en route to an unprecedented eighth championship at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. However, a late Safety Car intervention dramatically altered the course of the race.

Masi’s controversial handling of the restart rules allowed Verstappen to overtake Hamilton in the final lap, securing both the race victory and the championship. This decision sparked widespread fury and ultimately culminated in Masi’s dismissal from his role as race director.

ADVERTISEMENT

Russell also shared his views on how Verstappen might have reacted had he lost the championship. He contrasted this with Hamilton’s measured response to the loss. “I think he’s been allowed to bully because no one has confronted him,” Russell revealed to the press.

He further commented on Hamilton’s handling of the championship, applauding his hard yet respectful approach. Russell questioned how Verstappen would have reacted had he lost the championship in the way Hamilton did, suggesting that Masi might have faced serious threats.

The context of Russell’s comments was an incident in Qatar, where Verstappen allegedly threatened to harm him after blaming him for a post-qualification penalty. The Mercedes driver also boldly claimed that a quarter of Verstappen’s engineering team was contemplating leaving Red Bull due to internal frustrations.

Russell took a dig at Verstappen’s ability to handle adversity, stating, “He cannot deal with adversity. He’s had the most dominant car in racing history for two and a half years.” He pointed out Verstappen’s collision with Hamilton in Budapest and his criticism of his own team, Red Bull, as examples of his struggles when not in the fastest car.

The Mercedes driver also highlighted that Verstappen had won the same number of races as six other drivers since Austria. To Russell, this was a clear indication that Verstappen was not invincible. He emphasized that when Verstappen was in the most dominant car, he seemed unbeatable – a situation that Russell and Hamilton also found themselves in, during races in Silverstone and Las Vegas. These experiences underscored the importance of the vehicle in a driver’s performance, and the possibility of even the best drivers being beaten when not in the most powerful car.

Share212Tweet133Send

Related Posts

Piastri Defends Against McLaren Sabotage Claims: My Title Hopes Remain Unshaken!
Motorsports

Piastri Defends Against McLaren Sabotage Claims: My Title Hopes Remain Unshaken!

Title: Piastri Dismisses Sabotage Claims: McLaren Not Undermining His Title Aspirations! In a surprising turn of events ahead of the...

by Carl Smith
November 6, 2025
Oscar Piastri Defies Jos Verstappen: “I’m Ready to Fight for My Formula 1 Title!”
Motorsports

Oscar Piastri Defies Jos Verstappen: “I’m Ready to Fight for My Formula 1 Title!”

Oscar Piastri: The Rising Star Who Isn’t Backing Down! In an electrifying response to Jos Verstappen's recent comments, Oscar Piastri...

by Simon Monroy
November 6, 2025
Verstappen Declares McLaren Faces Unbearable Championship Pressure Ahead of Sao Paulo Showdown!
Motorsports

Verstappen Declares McLaren Faces Unbearable Championship Pressure Ahead of Sao Paulo Showdown!

Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

by Arthur Ling
November 6, 2025
Hamilton Slams F1 Stewards’ ‘Secrecy’ Over Mexico GP Penalty Amid Controversial Decisions
Motorsports

Hamilton Slams F1 Stewards’ ‘Secrecy’ Over Mexico GP Penalty Amid Controversial Decisions

Lewis Hamilton Lashes Out at F1 Stewards: “Secrecy” Over Penalties Sparks Outrage! In a dramatic turn of events following the...

by David Castro
November 6, 2025

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent News

Piastri Defends Against McLaren Sabotage Claims: My Title Hopes Remain Unshaken!

Piastri Defends Against McLaren Sabotage Claims: My Title Hopes Remain Unshaken!

November 6, 2025
Oscar Piastri Defies Jos Verstappen: “I’m Ready to Fight for My Formula 1 Title!”

Oscar Piastri Defies Jos Verstappen: “I’m Ready to Fight for My Formula 1 Title!”

November 6, 2025
Verstappen Declares McLaren Faces Unbearable Championship Pressure Ahead of Sao Paulo Showdown!

Verstappen Declares McLaren Faces Unbearable Championship Pressure Ahead of Sao Paulo Showdown!

November 6, 2025
Hamilton Slams F1 Stewards’ ‘Secrecy’ Over Mexico GP Penalty Amid Controversial Decisions

Hamilton Slams F1 Stewards’ ‘Secrecy’ Over Mexico GP Penalty Amid Controversial Decisions

November 6, 2025

Newsletter

ADVERTISEMENT

  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • TECHNICAL INFORMATION
  • EDITORIAL STATUS
  • TERMS AND CONDITIONS

© 2023 AutoGear - Todos os direitos reservados AutoGear.

No Result
View All Result
  • Latest News
  • AutoGear TV
  • Sustainable Mobility
  • Motorsports
    • Circuits
    • Rally
    • Rally raid
    • WEC
  • English
    • Português
    • Italiano
    • Français
    • Español
    • English
    • Deutsch
    • 日本語

© 2023 AutoGear - Todos os direitos reservados AutoGear.