“Just Look at Yourself,” F1 Insider Slams George Russell over Incident with Max Verstappen at Canadian GP

Red Bull simulator driver Rudy van Buren lambasted George Russell's move against Max Verstappen at the Canadian GP.

“Just Look at Yourself,” F1 Insider Slams George Russell over Incident with Max Verstappen at Canadian GP

Max Verstappen and George Russell (via Red Bull Content Pool)

George Russell was the center of attention at the Canadian GP for various reasons. Primarily, the Briton shared the front row with Max Verstappen as the latter feared a one-race ban due to accumulating 11 out of 12 penalty points limit. Moreover, Russell’s controversial tactics against Verstappen under the safety car caused a lot of back-and-forth on the matter. Now, Red Bull’s sim driver Rudy van Buren took a brutal dig at the Briton.

George Russell had already joked about Max Verstappen’s one-race ban situation and how he had enough points to try something out. The Briton braked under the Safety Car in Montreal, which caused Verstappen to overtake the former momentarily. Both drivers immediately put forth their statements on the matter, as Red Bull even lodged a double protest against Russell. Nothing came of it as the FIA cleared both parties of any wrongdoing.

However, Russell still faced some sort of backlash from the people of the sport. Amidst this, Red Bull’s current sim driver Rudy van Buren took a dig at the Briton and his questionable move under the safety car. Van Buren lambasted the Mercedes driver’s move and questioned his motives when he was asked about his opinions on live TV. The 33-year-old pointed out that his thoughts on the matter remain unchanged, as he was irritated at the moment and still felt the same way.

I said the same thing on television, when asked what I thought about it. Well, because the camera is on, I was slightly irritated. And behind the scenes, a bit more.

Rudy van Buren told RacingNews365

Rudy van Buren continued his heated comments and further took shots at George Russell for having to resort to such tactics. The sim driver asserted that Russell should win through race pace and merit, and not tricks. Van Buren called out the Briton and asked him to look into himself, as he would rather take points off of people than earn his own during races. Finally, the 33-year-old declared that Russell should focus on winning races and battles on track and not think about causing other drivers penalties.

But I find that kind of practice… If you need that to take points away from people, you should just look at yourself. And win it on the track.

Rudy van Buren added

Rudy van Buren questions George Russell’s motives behind controversial move

George Russell denied any claims that he wrongfully tried to gain an advantage over Max Verstappen in Canada. Russell drove an exceptional race and deserved the race win as he maintained his lead starting from pole position. Still, Rudy van Buren questioned the Briton’s motive behind the move and why he tried to force Verstappen into facing a penalty.

George Russell and Max Verstappen
George Russell and Max Verstappen (image via Red Bull)

Rudy van Buren asserted that George Russell was very good on track in Canada in terms of pure performance. However, the Dutchman still couldn’t understand why Russell would ruin his own race for a slight advantage, which wouldn’t have helped him gain much. Van Buren reckoned that the Mercedes star wanted to gain praise from everyone by forcing Verstappen to receive a penalty despite running the race at a massive advantage throughout.

That’s exactly why. He was good too, wasn’t he? Do you have to do things like that when you’re actually just running a top race? Where basically everyone should say hats off?

Rudy van Buren added

George Russell and Max Verstappen’s rivalry in the 2025 season has been a spectacle for the fans to witness. Although the tactics cause temporary backlash for the drivers, these are the moments that make Formula 1 very interesting. The drivers’ title seems spread out, with multiple drivers looking to grab the coveted title. As such, such nail-biting moments are likely to be witnessed in the races to come as everyone sets their eyes on the prize.

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