Max Verstappen accuses George Russell of ‘making an attempt to screw him over’ at Qatar GP

Max Verstappen issued a blunt condemnation of his fellow driver George Russell stating he had “misplaced all respect” for him after the pair had been concerned in an incident throughout qualifying for the Qatar Grand Prix. Verstappen thought-about that Russell had tried to “screw him over” with the stewards and the pair exchanged phrases about it earlier than the race on the Lusail circuit on Sunday.

Verstappen gained the race in Qatar however afterwards his anger with Russell was direct. After qualifying Verstappen had been penalised for driving unnecessarily slowly and impeding Russell. Each drivers had been summoned to the stewards to provide their sides of the incident and Russell’s behaviour had left Verstappen incensed.

“I’ve been in that assembly room many occasions in my life and my profession with folks that I’ve raced and I’ve by no means seen somebody making an attempt to screw somebody over that tough. For me, I misplaced all respect,” he stated.

He was much more dismissive in an interview with Dutch TV.

“He all the time does it very properly right here in entrance of the digital camera, however then whenever you’re inside with him in particular person, it’s only a completely different particular person,” he stated. “I can’t stand that and it’s truly higher for him to fuck off. I don’t wish to get entangled on this.”

Verstappen was adjudged to have been at fault and given a one-place grid penalty eradicating him from pole and selling Russell to the place and the world champion additionally went to take goal on the stewards.

“I couldn’t consider that I bought it. However in a method I used to be additionally not shocked anymore on this planet that I dwell in,” he stated. He insisted he was not making an attempt to impede Russell as neither driver was on a sizzling lap however felt he was ignored.

“I didn’t wish to screw anybody over to organize their lap and by doing that, being good, principally you get a penalty,” he added. “That’s what I attempted to elucidate as nicely however I simply felt like I used to be speaking to a brick wall.”

Verstappen’s Pink Bull group principal, Christian Horner, confirmed that his driver had felt motivated by the incident and that he had made his emotions clear to Russell on the drivers’ parade pre-race. “I feel there was a bit little bit of a second between the 2 of them on the trailer as they go across the circuit, that Max felt that issues simply went a bit too far yesterday,” he stated.