A year ago, a dispute erupted both on and off the track between Max Verstappen and George Russell. The cause was an incident during the qualifying round in Qatar, after which the Dutchman lost his pole position to Russell. The Mercedes driver apparently caused such a stir with the stewards that Verstappen received the unusual grid penalty of one place for the main race in Qatar. The controversy also continued in Abu Dhabi, and Sky Sports reporter Ted Kravitz now reveals how Russell premeditatedly verbally attacked the Dutchman.
The dispute between Max Verstappen and George Russell arose after the qualifying round of the GP Qatar 2024. The Dutchman had just secured the pole position for the race at the Lusail International Circuit, but had to relinquish it after the session. According to the stewards, Verstappen had ‘driven unnecessarily slowly’ during his cool-down lap. Russell had misjudged Verstappen’s speed, and had to swerve during his own lap to avoid a collision with the Dutchman.
Verstappen was not pleased with the way Russell caused a commotion with the stewards after the qualifying round. “The way the other party (George Russell, ed.) handled it yesterday in the meeting with the stewards,” Max Verstappen began at the time with Viaplay. “That was absolutely ridiculous. I have a lot of respect for all drivers, but after last night, I’ve lost it all for him.” In the official press conference, he added: “I’ve never experienced someone trying to screw me over so hard.”
Revelations from Kravitz
The dispute continued in Abu Dhabi, and according to Sky Sports reporter Ted Kravitz, George Russell was determined to verbally confront Max Verstappen. “When Russell arrived in Abu Dhabi a week after Qatar, he had no intention of letting the situation with Verstappen rest,” writes Kravitz in his new book F1 Insider: Notes from the Pit Lane. “I spent that day interviewing the drivers for TV, but hadn’t heard anything shocking. A minute before his interview began, George approached me. He said, ‘Make sure you ask a follow-up question’.”
The reporter then reacted with surprise. “I asked him, ‘What do you mean?’. He replied, ‘I’m going to respond to Max. I’m tired of him criticizing me in the press, and I’m going to call him out on his bullying. Normally you can only ask one question, but I’m willing to answer more’. I then checked to see if he had a Drive to Survive microphone somewhere, and asked him if he was sure he wanted to escalate the situation and start a new fight with Max. That’s never an easy battle to win. He said he was sure, and then he launched into it,” concludes Kravitz.
