The full interview with George Russell, given to the media during the press day of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The issue that has been stirring up the paddock over the past week shows no signs of dying down: George Russell versus Max Verstappen. What happened in Qatar, under the race direction, left a lasting impact between the two drivers, who have openly exchanged strong words. There have been replies and counter-replies between the two, with Russell, on the media day of the Abu Dhabi GP, sharing the full story from every angle.
Here are the statements from the British driver: “For the first five minutes, I didn’t say a word to the stewards because they were only talking to Max. He was already angry, cursing at the stewards, and I simply told them the facts. I was following my delta. We all have a lap time we must respect, and we’re also told that if we go too slowly, we must move off the racing line. I wasn’t trying to penalize Max; at that moment, I was in first place, and he was in second.
I was just trying to prepare my lap. But he was 20 seconds slower than he should have been, and I didn’t argue with the stewards. Max, however, was really angry because I wasn’t supporting him. He expected me to say, ‘No problem, what Max did was fine and wasn’t dangerous.’ The penalty? Maybe it was harsh, but these are the rules. We all have to follow them. I would also like to go 20 seconds slower to prepare my tires better, but I don’t do that.”
The Briton then added: “On Sunday morning, during the drivers’ parade, I went to talk to him. It was me, Max, Checo, and Carlos. We almost laughed about the situation, but I could see in his eyes that he was angry, and the words he said were sincere. This surprised me. He knows very well that I wasn’t the one who penalized him. But it almost seems like he expects special treatment, and if things don’t go the way he wants, there’s no room for reasoning
This is not how our sport works. I’ve known Max for 12 years, I’ve always respected him, but now I’ve lost that respect. In racing, there is tough competition, but it should never get personal. He, however, has made it personal. Someone needs to address this behavior because, so far, he’s been allowed to act without consequences.”
And finally: “It’s clear that there are rules to follow during the preparation laps. You have to maintain a certain lap time because the stewards don’t want you to go too slowly, especially when there’s a car coming at 300 km/h. I was following the rules to the letter and wasn’t trying to penalize him. But that’s how it went, and at the end of the day, I was in pole position at that moment, even though he then took pole. That’s racing. I don’t understand why he felt the need to take it personally. Maybe he can’t handle adversity, and every time something doesn’t go his way, he reacts with anger and unnecessary aggression.
We’ve seen it in Brazil with Ocon some time ago, in 2021 with Lewis, in Mexico with Lando, and even in the first race after the summer break in Budapest, when he didn’t have the most dominant car. He collided with Lewis and even lashed out at his team. This is not the behavior of a person I respect. He should be a better role model.
I find it ironic when he says, ‘I’ll hit you on purpose and slam your fucking head into the wall,’ for me, that’s unacceptable. He crossed the line, and I won’t accept it. Someone needs to stop him before he completely loses control. I’m disappointed that it’s come to this. I’ve known Max for 12 years, I know what he’s like.
I didn’t intend to throw him under the spotlight, but then he accuses me of lacking integrity. I won’t accept that. He thinks he’s above the rules, and in the last two years, things have been made too easy for him. Lewis was the only one who challenged him hard and fairly in 2021. The way Lewis raced against him is the gold standard: aggressive but never beyond the limit.
This is the kind of driver and champion I aspire to be. I can’t remain silent while Max publicly accuses me of lying to the stewards. Now I’ve said my piece. This won’t change my approach to racing. I’m ready for Abu Dhabi, it will be the last race of the season. Once it’s over, for me, it will be a closed chapter.
Max doesn’t feel the need to earn anyone’s respect, but there was a time in racing when everyone respected each other. It’s not right to take things personally over a grid penalty; we’re not talking about a world title lost in the final race. I’d understand the anger in that case, but threatening to smash someone’s head into a wall? That’s too much.”