“It was ridiculous!!” Max Verstappen berates two-faced George Russell over Lusail qualifying penalty saga after Qatar GP win
George Russell claimed that Max Verstappen purposely drove slower to block him during the closing stages of Q3.
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Max Verstappen and George Russell (via IMAGO)
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen put in a stellar run to win the Qatar GP, starting from P2 on the grid. Verstappen clinched pole position in qualifying but was later penalized for allegedly blocking Mercedes’ George Russell.
Max Verstappen turned up trumps after a dismal run in the Sprint race of the Qatar GP. He finished P8 in the sprint but looked much pacier during the Saturday qualifying for the main race. However, his happiness after securing pole was cut short by George Russell‘s complaint against him in Q3.
Russell claimed that the Dutchman deliberately drove slowly during the former’s final push lap in Qatar. These comments enraged Verstappen, who responded after the recently finished 57-lap race, without mincing any words to convey his feelings about the Brit.
The way he acted was completely ridiculous. I have respect for everyone, but I lost it with him. I thought it was ridiculous how he wanted to give me a penalty. I was also quite angry with him about that.
Max Verstappen told Viaplay
Verstappen is bij Viaplay nog altijd woest op hoe Russell deed bij de stewards zaterdag. “Hoe hij deed sloeg nergens op. Ik heb voor iedereen respect, maar ben dat bij hem wel verloren. Ik vond het belachelijk hoe hij me een penalty wilde aansmeren. Daar ben ik naar hem toe ook…
— Joost Nederpelt (@JoostNederpelt) December 1, 2024
Verstappen and Russell have been friends since their early days in Formula 1. They have had their fair share of tussles but have kept their relationship aside out of the track. Nevertheless, the decision against the Dutchman seems to now have jeopardized the bond between them.
George Russell’s take after finishing P4 at the Qatar GP
George Russell was distraught after a lackluster performance in Lusail despite having a convincing pace all weekend. He could only manage P4 after a long pitstop ruined his chances of winning from pole position in the Qatar GP.
We didn’t have the pace today. We don’t even know why that was. After the pitstop, I was doing the same pace as Zhou. We need to understand why the pace for Lewis and I was not there.
George Russell said after the Qatar GP
George Russell: We didn't have the pace today. We don't even know why that was. After the pitstop I was doing the same pace as Zhou, we need to understand why the pace for Lewis and I was not there.
— Junaid #JB17 (@JunaidSamodien_) December 1, 2024
Russell was clueless about the W15’s lost pace on hard tires during the 57-lap race on Sunday. He seemed confident in keeping up with the frontrunners on medium tires and soft tires since the start of the weekend.
The Brackley-based team heads into the final race of 2024 without any apparent solution for their inconsistency. The upcoming winter break will be extremely crucial for the outfit in order to develop a stable challenger for 2025.
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Yashraj Chowdhury
(599 Articles Published)