There has been friction between Max Verstappen and George Russell for quite some time, which escalated after the remarks they exchanged during last year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. At the start of this season, it seemed like the two had buried the hatchet—at least off the track—but incidents during the Spanish Grand Prix reignited tensions.
Specifically, following the restart after the Safety Car, the two crossed paths at Turn 1, where the Mercedes driver lost control of his car, forcing his rival off the track. Lambiase then asked his driver to give the position back, and a misunderstanding between the two ended in another contact, as well as a 10-second penalty for the Dutchman (with lingering doubts about whether it was intentional).
Speaking to the media, including gp-news.net, George Russell used strong language, even going as far as saying he believes Verstappen is a bad example for children watching at home. “I’ll bring him some tissues next time,” the champion responded with his usual sarcasm. “It was strange to have to give the position back, because the overtake at Turn 1 had already started and he should have left me space. The contact was decent, I thought I’d get a puncture. As for the penalty, I’d say the rulebook needs some clarification. It’s still unclear what is allowed and what isn’t; sometimes the decisions feel unnatural and it’s frustrating. Anyway, I don’t want to talk too much about it—it’s better to focus on the race, which was going well overall.” – he concluded at the end of the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona.
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