A livid Max Verstappen declared he has “lost all respect” for George Russell, suggesting he is two-faced following a heated exchange prior to Sunday’s Qatar Grand Prix.
Verstappen was demoted from pole position early on Sunday after stewards determined he had obstructed Russell during their crucial laps in the last segment of qualifying, which subsequently promoted Russell to pole.
PA Sport report that the British driver extended a fist bump towards Verstappen in the holding area before the drivers’ parade, 90 minutes ahead of the race.
Nevertheless, the Dutchman pointedly snubbed Russell’s offer and then fixed him with a glare, observed by their fellow competitors.
Verstappen went on to overtake Russell at the first corner, dominating the race from start to finish to secure his maiden dry victory in almost half a year, just a week following his fourth consecutive championship triumph in Las Vegas.
Yet, in the aftermath of his win, Verstappen lashed out at Russell.
Verstappen stated: “You know what it is? He (Russell) always acts very nice here in front of the cameras, but when you are in there (in the stewards’ room) he is just a completely different person. I can’t stand that.
“Then it’s better to just f*** off, because I don’t have to deal with it. “.
The heated exchange was sparked after Verstappen was given a penalty for driving slowly following Russell’s complaints to the stewards, prompting the four-time world champion to express his frustration: “It was honestly very disappointing, because I think all of us here, we respect each other a lot.
“I’ve been in that meeting room many times in my life and in my career with people that I’ve raced. And I’ve never seen someone trying to screw someone over that hard. For me, I lost all respect.”
“I just thought it was ridiculous how he tried to force a penalty on me and I was heavily p****d at him for that.”
During the incident, Verstappen’s race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, chimed in over the radio: “Karma is a beautiful thing, mate. You definitely did not drive unnecessarily slowly today.”
Verstappen, who had previously clashed with Russell in Azerbaijan last year, labeling him a “d***head” and a “princess”, continued to express his dissatisfaction with the penalty: “I couldn’t believe that I got it.
“But in a way I was also not surprised anymore in the world that I live in. I’m not happy with it, but at one point or another you have to just turn the page.
“It wasn’t very enjoyable to see that happen because I think that’s the first time that in a slow lap someone has been penalised.”
Verstappen also revealed that he had been trying to be considerate of other drivers: “Actually, I just tried to be nice, so maybe I shouldn’t be nice. I didn’t want to screw anyone over to prepare their lap. And by doing that, being nice, basically you get a penalty.
“And that’s what I tried to explain as well, but I just felt like I was talking to a brick wall, so there’s not much that was possible for whatever reason.”