George Russell Yet to Clear the Air With Max Verstappen After Qatar Feud

The 2024 Qatar Grand Prix saw a major flashpoint between Mercedes driver George Russell and world champion Max Verstappen. The pair rowed after a trip to the stewards which saw Max Verstappen handed a one-place grid penalty.

George was handed the pole position, but Max Verstappen led into turn 1 and would go on to win the race. Russell could only finish the race in fourth place. Speaking before F1 75 Live, Russell shared he hasn’t spoken to Max during the winter break.

George Russell says ‘things got out of line’ in Max Verstappen row

After the penalty was awarded in Qatar, Max Verstappen didn’t hold back in his criticism of George Russell. The Dutchman said he had “lost all respect” for the Brit. Russell hit back, claiming Verstappen couldn’t “deal with adversity“. The two are yet to speak over the winter, and Russell says he will not clear the air with the world champion.

Russell said: “I’ve got no intentions [to], to be honest. That happened last year. I want to focus on myself. Things got out of line last year. That was then. We are not going to go back to being best mates, that’s for sure. No concerns about him or his driving. I am not going to change my approach fighting him or other drivers.”

This is not the first time the two drivers have had a spat. The 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix saw the drivers touch on the opening lap during the sprint race. This left Verstappen limping home to third place after sustaining damage. The two drivers had a disagreement straight after the chequered flag fell.

Max Verstappen’s controversies in F1

Max Verstappen is no stranger to controversy. The four-time world champion has clashed with many drivers in the past. Last season, Max clashed with title rival Lando Norris on many occasions. They hit each other in Austria, resulting in Norris retiring from the race. Norris claimed he felt ‘let down‘ after the incident.

In Austin, Max and Lando once again clashed resulting in a penalty for Norris. The following race in Mexico was a big turning point for the stewards, who gave Verstappen two penalties for incidents on the same lap, a decision applauded by McLaren CEO Zak Brown.

Verstappen receives another 10 second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage!

20 seconds total. #F1 #MexicoGP https://t.co/y7iEh08klL

— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) October 27, 2024

Verstappen also clashed many times in 2021 with title rival Lewis Hamilton. The pair had incidents during many races that year, with crashes at Silverstone, Monza, Saudi Arabia and Brazil standing out as major flashpoints. The race in Brazil was similar to the Austin incident with Norris, where Verstappen forced the opposing driver off the track to gain an advantage.