Max Verstappen has expressed his disappointment and frustration with George Russell, stating that he has “lost all respect” for the Mercedes driver. This comes after Verstappen received a one-place grid penalty for driving unnecessarily slowly in qualifying at the Qatar Grand Prix.¹
Verstappen’s penalty was a result of an incident involving Russell, who complained that the pace differential between the two cars was “super dangerous”.² The stewards investigated the incident and handed Verstappen the penalty, which dropped him from pole position to second on the grid.
Verstappen was visibly unhappy with the decision and felt that Russell had played a significant role in the penalty being issued. He expressed his disappointment, saying that he had never seen someone try to “screw someone over that hard”.³
Despite the penalty, Verstappen went on to win the Qatar Grand Prix, overtaking Russell into the first corner. However, the incident has clearly left a sour taste in Verstappen’s mouth, and he has made it clear that he has lost respect for Russell.
The incident has sparked a heated debate in the F1 community, with some defending Verstappen’s actions and others criticizing Russell for his role in the penalty being issued. Regardless of the outcome, it’s clear that the incident has created tension between the two drivers.
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