Formula One is heading into the final weekend of the 2024 season which for the first time in history has seen seven drivers win multiple races. Sergio Perez is the only driver amongst the top four teams without a win an his future with Red Bull Racing is hanging by a thread.
Christian Horner said last time out in Qatar that Checo “would have to make his now mind up” when asked about the Mexican’s future, which appeared to suggests the team were hoping for him to announce his retirement from the sport.
Perez and his father are adamant he has a contract to drive next season and appear to have taken the position that if the team do not honour it, there will be legal consequences.
Russell v Verstappen SPAT deepens
Meanwhile the topic consuming the paddock is the ongoing war of words between George Russell and Max Verstappen. The Mercedes driver has openly called Max a “bully” and claims the world champion said he would “put me in the wall on my f***king head.”
Verstappen responded calling Russell a liar and that in all his years of attending the stewards room, he has never seen a driver behave as George did in Qatar.
It all began during qualifying three at the Lusail circuit when a number of drivers were performing multiple push laps while using the same set of tyres. After each of these efforts they would then run one or two cool down laps to recover tyre temperatures and pressures before going again.
With George leading the session, both drivers were preparing for their final efforts to claim pole position, when the Mercedes driver happened along the slower moving Red Bull car Russell appeared not to recognise Max would not be able to get out of the way. Fernando Alonso was ahead of the Red Bull car also on a cool down lap.
Brown questions stewards decision
Russell swerved last minute in a dramatic fashion shouting over team radio how dangerous the situation had been. The matter was referred to the stewards who took there unusual decision of handing Max a one place grid drop, which merely reversed the pole the world champion had claimed promoting George to the front of the grid.
Verstappen claims George pressed the stewards to issue the penalty, while George claims Max was incandescent with rage and swearing at the stewards. Sky F1 Anthony Davidson revealed during FP1 in Abu Dhabi that Verstappen had not in fact sworn in the stewards room in Qatar casting doubt on other claims made by the Mercedes driver.
Zak Brown now questions the nature of Max’s punishment who has never been issued in the past fifteen years. The net effect was quickly overturned as Verstappen gained the lead of the race at turn one and coasted to victory.
Speaking to Sky F1 in Abu Dhabi, the McLaren CEO explained he was confused at how the FIA stewards settled upon the one place grid drop penalty. “It looked like a scary moment. At first, I thought George was on a lap, but it looked like he was on a prep lap. It’s tricky out there, you’re talking to the drivers, he’s on this lap, here’s the times,” said Brown.
Green light: Alpine release Schumacher
No FIA investigation planned
“Certainly impeded him, but he wasn’t on a lap. One grid penalty, I can’t recall that ever getting seen. So, I’m not quite sure how that was applied. But it wasn’t one of our cars, so I wasn’t paying too much attention.”
With the drivers championship settled and McLaren with one hand on the constructors’ trophy Mercedes and Red Bull have little to lose and the drivers can be afford to be aggressive on track.
Yet should Verstappen be seen to deliberately drive into George in Abu Dhabi the stewards will come down hard on the world champion. Craig Salter has confirmed the FIA are not investigating Verstappen’s alleged comments but would be forced to do so if the pair have a coming together at the season finale. Max has already suffered at the hands of the F1 stewards this year for comments he made ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix.
He was hit with a controversial “community service” style penalty something which incensed the world champion who then refused to answer questions properly at the next FIA approved media event.
Horner and Wolff get inbcolved
Given the grave nature of Russell’s accusations, Craig Slater revealed his discussions with F1’s governing body. “What about the governing body in all of this?” questioned Slater. “Would they investigate the veracity of what Russell has alleged – that he’s been threatened to be put on his head by another driver?
“I’ve sought guidance within the FIA. The guidance I’m getting at the moment is that it’s unlikely that this will be investigated on some kind of ‘bringing the sport into disrepute’ charge. However, let’s see how this develops.”
Christian Horner described Russell’s behaviour as “hysterical” which has dragged Toto Wolff into the row at the location of the biggest ever Mercedes/Red Bull showdown in 2021.
GM Cadillac Andrettti F1 team boss named
Toto gatecrashes press conference
Wolff took the extraordinary measure of gate crashing his driver’s press conference on Thursday. “There is a thing between drivers, and this is George and Max, and I don’t want to get involved in that. But if the other team principal calls George ‘hysteric’ this is where he crosses the line for me…”
“Why does he feel entitled to comment about my driver? How does that come? But you know, thinking about it, yapping little terrier. Always something to say,” said the Mercedes boss.
The issue is unlikely to be resolved this weekend given the bitter nature of the division and the involvement of the two team principals. Russell claimed the incident had damaged his car which saw him miss out on pole to Max by just 0.063 seconds which could explain the one place drop penalty awarded, should the stewards have considered the incident cost George the pole position in Qatar.
Red Bull prep for Perez F1 retirement
Red Bull preparing emergency exit for Pérez – Are Red Bull setting the stage for Sergio Pérez’s exit? The rumours of Sergio “Checo” Pérez’s imminent departure from Red Bull Racing are growing louder. While the 34-year-old Mexican driver has a current contract with the team, there is growing evidence that Red Bull are manoeuvring to invoke clauses that would allow them to part ways early.
Speculation is rife that the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix could mark the end of Pérez’s F1 career with the team – and possibly the sport… READ MORE
With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
