The 2024 Formula 1 season has generated many intriguing and exciting stories. Towards the end of the championship, the exchanges between Max Verstappen and George Russell, following events at the Qatar Grand Prix, sparked much discussion. However, in an interview with the Times, prior to the aforementioned controversy, the Mercedes driver praised the Dutchman’s performance while openly challenging him on the track.
George Russell clarified that the Red Bull driver is “exceptional,” but he also pointed out that, obviously, there was a limit to what the Dutch driver could achieve with his RB20, especially when the car didn’t live up to the performance of the rivals.
Indeed, this season, after starting the year in an extraordinary manner, Max Verstappen went through a more complicated period during which he failed to win for ten consecutive races. During that time, his main goal was to maximize results to maintain his lead in the World Championship over the pursuers.
Commenting on the season’s progress, George Russell said he was ready to challenge Max Verstappen: “I’ve been in Formula 1 for six years, next year will be my seventh, and my fourth with the team. I feel absolutely ready to take my career to the next level and fight for a championship. I’m ready to fight Max, and if we get the opportunity, I won’t waste it.” – he pointed out.
“You could say Max shouldn’t have won the championship this year, but the others made a few more mistakes and didn’t capitalize on the opportunities when they had the chance,” he stated.
“Opportunities don’t come every day. This year, Lando [Norris, ed.] had his. McLaren could have it again next year, or not. We can’t know in this sport. No one ever predicted Red Bull would lose form the way it did.”
“There’s a lot of hype around Max. He’s a truly exceptional driver, but the fact is, he won only one of the last 12 races [at the time of the interview, Verstappen would go on to win in Qatar as well, ed.], and that shows anyone can be beaten because as a driver, you’re always dependent on your car. The difference with him this year is that he seized every opportunity when he had the chance, while his rivals didn’t.” – George Russell concluded.
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