F1 Azerbaijan GP: “Because Princess George is sitting there,” Max Verstappen mocks George Russell over the first-lap incident in Sprint
Max Verstappen had to settle for third in the Baku Sprint following a clash with George Russell in the opening lap.
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Max Verstappen and George Russell after the Baku Sprint (Credits: Sky Sports)
There was an intense battle between Max Verstappen and George Russell during the Sprint race on the streets of Baku. The Dutch driver did not hold back his words and swore at the Briton on live TV. Still, he did not stop there. He taunted Russell with the nickname “Princess George” during a post-race interview.
Speaking about the incident, Verstappen made it clear that he felt Russell‘s driving was not up to par. He stated,“Because Princess George is sitting there, I can’t defend?.” The Dutchman added, “Oh yes, I would have done the exact same thing… Driving full into the side of his car, that would have been really smart.”
The incident in question took place when Max Verstappen and George Russell were battling for third place at the Azerbaijan GP Sprint. It resulted in a collision on the opening lap. Russell tapped into the side of Verstappen’s car at turn 2. Despite regaining his place after a safety car period, Verstappen’s car suffered side pod damage. It made it challenging for him to overtake Charles Leclerc. Ultimately, his teammate Sergio Perez secured the win after overtaking Leclerc.
Max’s responded to Russell comments. The Mercedes driver had a different perspective on the incident. He stated “I was surprised he was so angry, to be honest.” Russell added, “If the roles were reversed, I’m sure he would have done exactly the same,” at the post-sprint interviews with Sky Sports.
Max Verstappen takes a jab at Mercedes
Mercedes and Red Bull have long had a strained relationship, which boiled out during the 2021 season. The two teams had collided on the track on multiple occasions in the past. Max did not appear to hold back and took a shot at Mercedes. At the post-race press conference, he was asked about the first lap duel with Russell. The Red Bull driver replied, “I think I did. But apparently, it’s hard not to hit that Red Bull car, I guess. For them.”
Despite their rivalry, Russell made it clear that he won’t hold back just because Verstappen leads the championship. “I’m not going to hold back because he’s leading the championship,” the Briton said in a post-race interview with Sky Sports.
As for the standings, Verstappen still leads the championship with a 13-point lead over Perez. Russell will start in 11th position for Sunday’s main event. And Verstappen will start in second place behind Leclerc. The relationship between Russell and Verstappen might go downhill from here. Only time will tell.
In case you missed it:
- F1 Azerbaijan GP: “That’s a poor loser,” Damon Hill slams Max Verstappen for Baku race week format criticism
- F1 Azerbaijan GP: “Now that’s the d***head,” Fans rage at Christian Horner for distasteful remarks on Max Verstappen-George Russell confrontation
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Rohit Bhaskar
(727 Articles Published)