George Russell says Max Verstappen ‘let himself down’ with post-sprint comments following the Dutchman’s ‘d**khead’ outburst

George Russell remains unbothered by the remarks made by Max Verstappen after the two made contact at the Baku Sprint.

George Russell says Max Verstappen ‘let himself down’ with post-sprint comments following the Dutchman’s ‘d**khead’ outburst

George Russell, Max Verstappen

George Russell and Max Verstappen exchanged words after the Azerbaijan GP Sprint with reference to their altercation during the race. Verstappen was furious after the British driver made contact with his Red Bull incurring heavy sidepod damage. Subsequently, the two-time World Champion called Russell a “d**khead” after the race and later on even referred to the Mercedes driver as “Princess George.” However, this has not affected the Briton.

When asked about wanting an apology from the reigning World Champion, the 25-year-old politely declined. Russell said, “No, not really. I don’t need an apology at all.” Although the rather unaffected Mercedes driver was quick to mention that Verstappen perhaps used such comments to let himself down. George explained, “He’s a two-time Champion, leading the championship again at the moment. It doesn’t bother me, but he probably lets himself down a little bit with those sort of comments.”

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Moreover, the British driver took another shot at Verstappen as he described the Dutchman as a really great individual who gives comments that are uncalled for. Russell continued, “Max is a super good guy, great-great driver, just words like that are a bit unnecessary.” The Dutchman has had a history of such outbursts in F1, such as his aggressive behavior towards Esteban Ocon after the Frenchman crashed into his Red Bull at the 2018 Brazilian GP.

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George Russell expected more damage after clash with Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen confronting George Russell after the Azerbaijan GP Sprint
Max Verstappen confronting George Russell after the Azerbaijan GP Sprint

George got off to a good start in the Sprint race and pressurized Max Verstappen’s Red Bull. The two went wheel-to-wheel in the tight streets of Baku before finally making contact on Turn 3. Luckily, the Mercedes didn’t get damaged although the Dutchman struggled with major damage on side pods, potentially losing up to three-quarters of a second per lap.

However, Russell insists that he expected much more contact between himself and the two-time world champion. George Russell concluded, “To be honest I was a bit underwhelmed how little everything was, I was expecting it to be more. Obviously, there was a bit of contact, as there often is up and down the grid on lap one. So yeah, I was expecting a bit more.”

Thus, George Russell believes that the remarks made by Max Verstappen aren’t surprising. The British driver is adamant that he is unbothered by Max’s words and is rather surprised over the lack of contact made on-track. Verstappen on the other hand did not shy away from expressing his frustration directly to Russell and even the media.

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