The 2024 Formula 1 season concluded with Max Verstappen‘s fourth championship win, but it was also marked by a clash between the Dutchman and George Russell. At the World Championship presentation on Tuesday, the British driver stated that he no longer concerns himself with the Red Bull pilot.
In addition to Verstappen’s fourth title and McLaren’s team championship win, the end of the 2024 Formula 1 season was marked by a heated clash between George Russell and the Red Bull driver. After Verstappen impeded Russell by driving too slowly during a qualifying session, he received a penalty, and the two men subsequently exchanged barbs in separate interviews. The Dutchman had told Russell to “get lost,” while the Briton retorted that he “no longer respected” his counterpart.
On Tuesday evening, at the World Championship presentation, Russell played the peacemaker, stating that the clash was in the past and he no longer concerns himself with Verstappen. “I haven’t spoken to Max Verstappen. I have no concerns about him or his driving or anything. The clash happened last year and I want to focus on myself. Obviously, things I felt spiraled out of control at the end of the year. And I was quite clear that I wasn’t going to accept it. But now it’s 2025 and I’m focusing on my job. That job is to win. So I’m not going to change my approach to fight against him or other drivers. The goal is the same. We’ll see when we get to Melbourne.”
For his part, Verstappen has buried the hatchet. The Red Bull driver stated that “everything is fine with Russell.”
