The 2024 Components 1 season attracts to an in depth this weekend, with the year-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
And it won’t come a second too quickly for some.
The disagreement between Max Verstappen and George Russell that started final week on the Qatar Grand Prix escalated on Thursday in Abu Dhabi, as drivers met with the media for the ultimate time this season. In Qatar Verstappen was given a one-place grid penalty, in addition to a degree on his Tremendous License, for slowing down in entrance of Russell close to the tip of qualifying. The penalty dropped Verstappen from pole place, and promoted Russell to the highest spot on the grid.
Within the FIA Press Convention after his win, Verstappen didn’t maintain again when addressing the incident, and the assembly with race officers. The Purple Bull driver was requested in regards to the penalty, in addition to Russell’s function within the investigation and determination.
“Truthfully, I imply… I couldn’t imagine that I obtained it. However in a manner, I used to be additionally like, yeah, I’m not stunned anymore on the earth that I stay in. So, yeah. You’re not proud of it. However at one level or one other, you need to simply flip the web page. However, yeah, it wasn’t very pleasing to see that occur, as a result of I believe that’s the primary time that in a gradual lap somebody has been penalised,” started Verstappen. “Whereas, truly, I simply tried to be good. So perhaps I shouldn’t be good. However the factor is that, , nicely, being good, as a result of on the finish of the season, every thing is kind of determined, for me particularly, I didn’t wish to screw anybody over to arrange their lap. And by doing that, , being good, mainly you get a penalty. And that’s what I attempted to clarify as nicely.
“However I simply felt like I used to be speaking to a brick wall. So there’s not a lot that was potential for no matter purpose. Effectively, I believe I actually spoke about legitimate causes of what occurred and it was clear minimize that round me there have been totally different situations happening as nicely, with folks having colder tyres and stuff in order that they needed to push anyway and I didn’t wish to then trigger a scene into a final nook. after which, , nobody had a lap,” continued Verstappen. “So very, very shocking.
“After which the second a part of the query,” began Verstappen when he turned to Russell. “Yeah, I used to be fairly stunned when sitting there within the Stewards’ room, what was all happening. Truthfully, very disappointing as a result of I believe we’re all right here, we respect one another so much and naturally, I’ve been in that assembly room many occasions in my life, in my profession with people who have raced and I’ve by no means seen somebody making an attempt to screw somebody over that tough.
“And that for me… I misplaced all respect.”
You possibly can see a portion of Verstappen’s feedback right here:
On Thursday Russell supplied his first response to Verstappen’s feedback, and the Mercedes driver didn’t maintain again. Assembly with the media forward of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Russell blasted Verstappen, calling his remarks in Qatar “ironic” given what the Purple Bull driver reportedly stated to Russell that weekend.
“I discover all of it fairly ironic contemplating Saturday evening he stated he’s going to purposefully exit of his option to crash into me and, quote, ‘Put me on my f***ing head within the wall’,” Russell stated.
“So to query any individual’s integrity as an individual whereas saying feedback like that the day earlier than, I discover very ironic.
“I’m not going to take a seat right here and settle for it. Folks have been bullied by Max for years now and you’ll’t query his driving talents [but] he can’t cope with adversity, each time something has gone towards him, Jeddah ‘21, Brazil ‘21, he lashes out. Budapest this yr, the very first race automotive wasn’t dominant, crashing into Lewis [Hamilton], slamming his crew.
“For me, these feedback on Saturday evening and Sunday had been completely disrespectful and pointless as a result of what occurs on monitor – we battle onerous – it’s a part of racing. What occurs within the stewards’ room, you battle onerous, but it surely’s by no means private.
“However he’s taken it too far now.”
Russell went on.
“[Verstappen] stated, ‘I don’t know why you’d wish to screw me like this. I’m so upset in you. I used to be going to not even race you tomorrow. I used to be going to allow you to by, however now if I’ve to, I’ll purposefully exit my manner, put you in your f***ing head within the wall’.
“I don’t perceive why he was so unnecessarily aggressive and violent in that complete regard.”
The Mercedes driver asserted that Verstappen believes that he’s “above all people else” within the F1 world.
“I truthfully simply wish to set the document straight, to be sincere, as a result of it’s only a whole double customary that he has for the rules and simply pondering that he’s above all people else,” Russell stated. “So it’s not me making an attempt to say my management type or something. It’s simply any individual has come out and stated that I’m a two-faced motherf***er.
“And he’s entitled to his personal opinions, however popping out and saying that publicly and slamming me publicly; I’m simply not going to just accept it and I’m going to inform folks what the truth was.”
For his half, Verstappen stood by his feedback in Qatar. Addressing them on the FIA Press Convention in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, Verstappen indicated he didn’t have any “regrets” for what he stated final week.
“No regrets in any respect, as a result of I meant every thing I stated, and it’s nonetheless the identical. If I needed to do it once more, perhaps I’d have stated much more, figuring out the result of the race outcomes,” stated the Purple Bull driver.
“I nonetheless can’t imagine that somebody may be like that within the stewards’ room. For me, that was so unacceptable, as a result of we’re all racing drivers, all of us have numerous respect for one another. We even play sports activities collectively. You journey collectively. And naturally, you’ve gotten moments the place you get collectively, you crash, or no matter, you’re not pleased.
“In my complete profession, I’ve by no means skilled what I’ve skilled within the stewards’ room in Qatar and for me, that was actually unacceptable.”
Verstappen went on to point that his feedback had nothing to do with Russell’s function because the Director of the Grand Prix Driver’s Affiliation. “No, it has nothing to do with him being the director of the GPDA,” added Verstappen. “I simply by no means anticipated somebody to actually try to actively get somebody a penalty that badly and mendacity about why I used to be doing what I used to be doing. However clearly, it had an affect to them. Yeah, it was simply actually not good and truly very stunning what was happening there.”
The 2024 F1 season could conclude this weekend, however the sport’s newest feud reveals no indicators of slowing down.
