Abu Dhabi will not only be the stage for the Constructors’ Championship battle, but it is also the setting for the war that is raging between George Russell and Max Verstappen following the penalty imposed during the Qatar GP. In that case, the Dutchman was moved back one grid position after securing pole.
So, in Abu Dhabi, George Russell was asked what he thought about it. The Englishman didn’t hold back in making sharp comments to selected media and had the opportunity to explain his point of view on the matter.
“Well, what can I say: this is all fun. Even before I said a word to the stewards, he was cursing at the stewards. He was so angry even before I spoke. And in the end, there’s nothing to lie about. The facts were the facts. He was going too slow. He was on the racing line in the high-speed corner. I wasn’t trying to penalize him at all. Actually…” said the Mercedes driver.
“I don’t want to throw Max under the bus,” George Russell’s response to Max Verstappen
“I was just trying to prepare for my lap and as drivers, we fight hard on track, we fight hard with the stewards. It’s not personal, it’s just racing. And I don’t see why he felt the need for this personal attack. And I won’t accept it.”
Then he clarified. “It’s not that I’m angry with Max. I am the one who is setting things straight because I won’t sit here and watch a guy personally criticize me like he did. I’ve known Max for a long time and I know what he’s capable of. He told me he would deliberately do everything he could to collide with me, bashing my head against the wall. I knew he was a bit hot-headed at that moment, but when I went to see him the next day at the drivers’ parade, when everyone else was there, I could see in his eyes that he was sincere.”
“In the end, it’s fine, but you should never cross the line. Even after the parade, I went back, told my team, and we laughed about it. Then I woke up the next day expecting to have a laugh, but as I said, I saw the fire in his eyes.”
Max Verstappen and George Russell teammates? “Things happen, and people move on. We’re adults and mature. And yes, as I said, right now it’s not even something I’m thinking about. I never intended, nor have I ever intended, to throw Max under a bus,” concluded the Englishman ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
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