George Russell claims Max Verstappen’s Mexican GP aggression went ‘beyond sportsmanship’
George Russell came in support of Lando Norris, criticizing Max Verstappen's unsportsmanlike tactics in F1 and calling for fair racing.
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Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and George Russell (via IMAGO)
Max Verstappen‘s aggressive defense during the Mexican GP drew criticism, particularly from other drivers who labeled the tactics as dangerous. Verstappen first pushed Lando Norris off the track at Turn 4 in a bid to maintain his position.
A few corners later, he deliberately ran wide to keep Norris behind him. Mercedes driver George Russell reckoned it was just an unsportsmanlike move from the Dutchman which could have resulted in a crash.
Russell came in support of his countryman Lando Norris after the latter faced a dangerous battle with Verstappen. It was not the first time the Dutchman tried pushing Norris off track. A similar incident occurred in Austin, where the Briton received a penalty for the same infraction.
George Russell explained the situation, citing his own battles with teammate Lewis Hamilton, which he characterized as always hard and fair. He expressed concern, stating Max Verstappen‘s tactics during races have crossed the line into unsportsmanlike behavior.
It was nice to have the battle. It’s always good when you fight with Lewis because it’s hard and fair, and at the moment we’ve seen a number of maneuvers that are just getting beyond entertainment, or beyond sort of sportsmanship, almost unfair to a point now.
George Russell said, as reported by GPblog.com
Russell highlighted that the Austin incident involved both drivers, attributing sixty percent of the fault to Lando Norris. Despite this shared responsibility, only Norris received a penalty. He expressed that the situation in Mexico was particularly extreme, noting it resembled the intense and controversial battle between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen during the 2021 Brazilian GP.
You can argue the first one was, again, maybe 60-40. The last one, it was… I’ve not seen anything like that since, probably, Brazil.
George Russell added
George Russell highlights the ‘biggest discussion’ on rule changes by stewards
The FIA plans to revise F1’s racing guidelines after the incidents involving Verstappen and Norris in Mexico and Austin. The revision aims to clarify the rules and ensure more consistent enforcement.
George Russell stated that 19 out of 20 drivers have raised concerns about aggressive defensive tactics and off-track incidents, and the FIA’s changes seek to address these issues. FIA penalizing for such incidents pleased the 26-year-old as he believes in fair competition in racing.
I think the stewards are totally on board with what needs to change. Our view is, I think the biggest discussion is they wanted to wait until ’25, so it’s something consistent through this year. I would say 19 out of 20 drivers said, ‘well, if it’s incorrect, make the change today.
George Russell explained
Max Verstappen’s 20-second penalty severely impacted his race, and on top of that, he lacked the pace to compete, finishing in sixth position. Red Bull faced a challenging weekend as it lost its second-place in the constructors’ standings to Ferrari.
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Gaurang Kadam
(535 Articles Published)