Ted Kravitz has claimed that George Russell confronted him ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last year in a bid to breach a written F1 regulation and intensify his feud with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. The Mercedes star and Verstappen clashed after a flashpoint in qualifying at last year’s Qatar Grand Prix, where the pair almost made contact during their preparation laps.
Four-time champion Verstappen faced scrutiny from stewards for driving unnecessarily slowly, with both racers called to give evidence. The Dutchman subsequently accused Russell of deliberately pushing for a sanction, resulting in Verstappen being demoted one grid position whilst his opponent secured pole.
Russell branded Verstappen a bully and further claimed the Red Bull driver vowed to “put me on my f***ing head in the wall.” Verstappen refuted making those remarks and suggested Russell was “exaggerating” once more, implying he behaved quite differently away from the cameras.
The dispute carried over into the season’s closing round at Abu Dhabi seven days afterwards, drawing in Christian Horner and Toto Wolff. Russell ultimately defeated world champion Verstappen by under a minute in the concluding race.
Sky Sports journalist Kravitz has now claimed that Russell approached him in the television pen on press day on the Thursday at the Yas Marina Circuit, requesting he be allowed to offer his perspective during their pre-race discussion.
In his latest book, Notes from the Pit Lane, Kravitz said: “A week after Qatar, when Russell arrived at the Abu Dhabi track, he was in no mood to let the Verstappen situation lie.
“I’d spent the day interviewing drivers at the TV pen, but hadn’t yet heard any earth-shattering stories. A minute before his time slot, up strode George.
“He called me over to the edge of the pen; ‘Make sure you ask me a follow-up question’. ‘What do you mean’? I asked. [He replied] ‘I’m going to give it back to Max. I’ve had enough of him bad-mouthing me in the press, and I’m going to call him out on his bullying tactics.
“I know you’re only supposed to ask me one question, but never mind that, I’m up for as many questions as you like.
“Before checking to see if he was wearing a Drive to Survive microphone, I asked him if he was absolutely sure he wanted to escalate what was effectively last year’s story, and start a new fight with Max – never an easy battle to win. He said he was positive, and away he went.”
The tension would simmer down over the winter break before the current 2025 season kicked off this March. Russell, who clinched his third-ever race at the Singapore Grand Prix earlier this month, is fourth in the drivers’ standings with Verstappen in third and 36 points ahead of the Brit.