Russell on Verstappen: ‘Something had to be done’

Last Updated on February 14 2025, 3:39 pm

George Russell reflects on the Verstappen feud: “Something had to be done” – Tensions between George Russell and Max Verstappen reached boiling point towards the end of last season, culminating in a war of words that spilled over into the media sessions in Abu Dhabi. Months later, Russell reflects on the incident and its aftermath and believes his reaction to the Red Bull driver was not only justified but necessary.

The Mercedes driver now sees the clash as part of a wider issue that goes beyond an isolated on-track dispute. He believes it was time for someone to stand up to Verstappen’s aggressive approach – both in driving and in attitude.

 

 

A clash in Qatar that sparked controversy

The feud between Russell and Verstappen began during qualifying for the Qatar Grand Prix. While neither driver had put in a flying lap, Russell felt that Verstappen had hampered his final preparations for Q3. Not happy with what he felt was unfair interference, the Mercedes driver took the matter up with Race Control and pushed for a penalty to be imposed on Verstappen.

His efforts were successful – Verstappen was given a grid penalty, lost his pole position and dropped down the order. For a driver as dominant as Verstappen, even a small penalty can feel like a significant setback, and he did not take Russell’s actions well.

The following day, Verstappen made his feelings clear to the media. The three-time world champion openly criticised Russell, stating that he had lost respect for the Briton. This was no casual remark – it was a declaration of mistrust, something rarely seen between drivers at the top of the sport.

When the two met again in Abu Dhabi for the season finale, tensions remained high. Russell fired back, accusing Verstappen of trying to “push him into the wall” and labelling him a sore loser. Never one to back down, Verstappen responded by calling Russell a “trickster”. What had started as a minor on-track dispute had now escalated into a full-blown public confrontation between two of F1’s biggest stars.

McLaren again threatens to wither under team orders row

 

 

 

Russell: “You need someone to stand up”

Now that the dust has settled, Russell is reflecting on the incident. In an interview with Autosport magazine, as quoted by Motorsport.com, he explained why he felt compelled to respond so strongly to Verstappen’s comments.

“I’m going into my seventh year in F1 now and you start to realise where you stand,” Russell said. “You’re aware of your voice and the platform you have and the influence you can have.”

For Russell, it wasn’t just about a single moment of frustration – it was about principle. “I felt it was important for me because I don’t accept being taken on so openly and publicly and not being respected. That was the main motivation,” he said.

He then expanded on his point, suggesting that Verstappen had been able to push boundaries for too long without enough resistance. “I’ve seen a lot of people in my life push other people to get what they want. You need somebody to stand up to people like that and nobody has done that,” he explained.

Perez F1 comeback a genuine prospect

 

 

 

ESPN ditches Formula 1

 

 

Verstappen’s driving style under scrutiny

Russell’s criticism of Verstappen was not limited to the incident in Qatar. In Abu Dhabi, the Mercedes driver cited several other examples – some dating back to 2021 – where he felt Verstappen had crossed the line.

He pointed to Verstappen’s aggressive style, which has often been the subject of debate in F1. “The way Max drove, the way he was more aggressive and kind of bullied others, the way he showed his aggression in a way that nobody could match… The only driver who pushed back was Lewis [Hamilton]. He was the only one who did that in 2021 and that was such a great season.

Russell suggested that Verstappen’s dominance in 2023 was not just down to his skill or Red Bull’s superior car, but also the fact that no one else on the grid was willing to challenge him in the same way that Hamilton did in 2021.

“I was frustrated watching the sport last year when there should have been such a great title fight,” Russell continued. “But it didn’t happen, so those comments in Qatar were the straw that broke the camel’s back. I was just thinking about everything that had happened, from the antics on the track to his comments off the track. It wasn’t acceptable and something had to be done.

Hamilton: Ferrari engine blamed for his crash in Barcelona

 

 

 

Strong reaction from Dutch fans

Unsurprisingly, the row between Russell and Verstappen has caused quite a stir – not only within the paddock, but also among the fans, particularly Verstappen’s passionate Dutch supporters.

Russell revealed that members of the Mercedes team had received emails from Dutch fans, presumably criticising his stance against their national hero. However, he claimed he was largely unaffected by the online backlash.

“I haven’t seen it myself, but I know there’s been a lot of criticism,” Russell said. “But I know members of the team have received emails from Dutch fans. But that’s part of sport and life, isn’t it? It’s something we accept.

The British rider has made a conscious effort to avoid engaging in social media debates, believing that reading too much into online criticism – or even praise – can be detrimental to his focus.

“You can choose to read it and let it affect you emotionally. Even if you laugh at the comments, it still has an impact,” he explained. “So I look at it like this: do positive comments make me faster? Probably not. And there are often more negative comments than positive ones, so I just try to avoid them.

Ex-Red Bull employees hand McLaren Newey’s secrets

 

 

 

 

A new era for Russell at Mercedes?

Russell’s outspoken stance on Verstappen marks a change in his approach to the sport. Having spent his early F1 years as a promising young driver looking to establish himself, he is now stepping into a leadership role at Mercedes. With Lewis Hamilton entering the latter stages of his career, Russell is increasingly becoming the face of the team’s future.

His willingness to challenge Verstappen – both on and off the track – suggests he is ready to take on the responsibilities that come with being a top driver in F1. Whether this translates into an on-track rivalry in 2024 remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Russell is no longer prepared to stay quiet in the face of Verstappen’s dominance.

As Formula One heads into another season, the question remains: will Russell be the driver to finally challenge Verstappen? Or will his words simply add to the growing list of drivers who have tried – and failed – to break the Dutchman’s grip on the sport? The answers will come soon enough as the lights go out on another thrilling year of Formula One.

READ MORE – ESPN ditches Formula 1

 

 

 

 

 

McLaren’s HUGE gamble on they 2025 car design

The 2025 Formula One season took its first baby steps from a relatively long winter. Yes Lewis Hamilton has been grabbing the headlines for the past couple of weeks with his testing in previous years Ferrari cars, but now McLaren have fired the starting gun as their challenger for 2025 hit the track.

It was a rainy day in Silverstone yet the camouflage style papaya livery of the MCL39 stood out from grey background as Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris took to the track for the first of their two ‘filming days.’

These days which are FIA approved, were intended for teams to record video footage for promotional purposes. Yet as everyone now knows, each team uses one of their allowance in February to shakedown the car since the pre-season testing days in Jerez were withdrawn for cost saving purposes…. READ MORE