George Russell furiously hit again at Max Verstappen after the F1 world champion’s stinging criticism of him and declared that “somebody wants to face as much as a bully like this”.

In a significant escalation of the row between two of the grid’s main drivers over fallout from Verstappen’s one-place grid drop on the Qatar Grand Prix, Mercedes’ Russell spoke to the media for the primary time since his Crimson Bull rival’s explosive feedback about him after final Sunday’s race.

Verstappen had mentioned he had “misplaced all respect” for Russell and that the Mercedes driver had set out within the stewards’ room to get him a penalty for impeding him on the finish of qualifying on Saturday.

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Russell gave his personal strong-worded response to Verstappen’s claims on the season-ending Abu Dhabi GP on Thursday, alleging that the world champion had threatened to crash into him in final week’s race after that they had met with the stewards.

The pair had lined up first and second on the grid, with Russell inheriting pole place following Verstappen’s penalty. After overtaking Russell at the beginning, the Crimson Bull driver gained the race with the Mercedes driver ending fourth.

“What he was doing was fairly clear. He was going too gradual. He was on the racing line and all of us had the principles to observe and he did not observe it,” mentioned Russell to Sky Sports activities F1.

“I discover his feedback fairly ironic when he comes out and says ‘I’ll purposely crash into you, I’ll put you in your f****** head within the wall’.

“For me that’s unacceptable and he is gone past the road right here and I am not going to just accept it.

“So anyone’s obtained to face as much as a man like this earlier than it will get uncontrolled.”

Verstappen has denied the “put your head within the wall” remarks to Dutch media, a denial which Crimson Bull are understood to corroborate.

Crimson Bull declined to touch upon Russell’s allegations about Verstappen when approached by Sky Sports activities.

Requested what additional steps he would wish to see taken within the matter, Russell mentioned: “I do not wish to go to the stewards’ workplace.

“I had no intention of bringing this up. He mentioned this to me on Saturday evening and I wakened on Sunday morning feeling effective. However to come back out of these press interviews saying that I am two-faced, I am the f-word, and this and that, he is taking this private.

“What occurs on monitor is skilled, what occurs within the stewards’ is skilled, and like Carlos [Sainz] mentioned to him on Sunday morning ‘you’ll have carried out the very same factor’ and on Sunday within the race he lifted for a yellow, Lando [Norris, who received a penalty which took him out of the fight for the race victory] does not carry for a yellow and he says to the workforce ‘verify what Lando does’.

“That is not private in opposition to Lando, that’s simply racing.”

Russell additionally mentioned he now, too, had misplaced respect for the four-time champion.

“I’ve recognized Max for 12 years. I revered him all this time however now I’ve misplaced respect for him. We’re all combating on monitor and it is by no means private,” he added.

“Now he is made it private and somebody wants to face as much as a bully like this – and thus far persons are letting him get away with homicide.”

Citing controversial on-track incidents involving the Dutchman over current years, Russell additionally claimed Verstappen “can’t take care of adversity” when issues don’t go his approach on monitor.

Requested throughout his written media briefing if he felt Verstappen was being ‘enabled’, Russell added: “I believe he is been enabled as a result of no person has stood as much as him. Lewis stood as much as him in 2021…may you think about the roles being reversed and Max shedding that championship within the method that Lewis misplaced that championship?

“A few of the current incidents he has been punished. And he punished himself, in Mexico with the reckless overtakes, Budapest with the reckless overtakes. Nevertheless it’s simply prior to now he had such a dominant automotive, he isn’t been on this place. I believe the FIA is fairly on it now, and I do not assume a lot wants to vary with its viewpoint, as a result of he’ll punish himself a technique or one other.”

Verstappen doubles down on Russell criticism

Talking within the Drivers’ Press Convention on the Yas Marina Circuit earlier than Russell held his personal media engagements on Thursday, Verstappen mentioned he had not modified his thoughts about something regarding the Qatar qualifying incident and its aftermath.

“No regrets in any respect as a result of I meant every thing I mentioned, and it is nonetheless the identical,” mentioned Verstappen.

“If I needed to do it once more, perhaps I might have mentioned much more, figuring out the result of the race end result.

“I nonetheless cannot imagine that somebody will be like that within the stewards’ room. For me that was so unacceptable as a result of, I imply we’re all racing drivers, all of us have a whole lot of respect for one another, we even play sports activities collectively, you journey collectively.

“And, in fact, you might have moments the place you get collectively, you crash or no matter and you are not comfortable. In my entire profession I’ve by no means skilled what I’ve skilled within the stewards’ room in Qatar, and for me that was actually unacceptable.”

Drivers have to stick to a minimal lap time on gradual laps in qualifying and, whereas Verstappen was discovered to have gone too slowly on his remaining Q3 warm-up lap, he mentioned that was as a result of he was getting out of the way in which of two different vehicles.

Like Verstappen, Russell was on a preparation lap however was travelling at a sooner pace in the direction of the tip of the lap when he reached the again of the Crimson Bull after which took to the kerb and gravel.

“I simply by no means anticipated somebody to essentially 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,” added Verstappen.

“It was simply actually not good and truly actually stunning what was happening there.”

On the incident itself, Verstappen mentioned he was “making an attempt to be good” by letting the 2 vehicles – Lando Norris and Fernando Alonso – cross earlier than Russell arrived behind him.

Requested if his grid penalty may now set a precedent, Verstappen quipped: “I’ll go flat out on my cool lap and I’ll act like I’ll crash with everybody!

“No, actually, I simply did not perceive. I did not even know why I used to be in there. Truthfully, after I was in there I used to be simply making an attempt to elucidate the story behind it. I used to be simply making an attempt to be good.”

He added: “Then I see somebody flying in my mirror performing like essentially the most harmful state of affairs simply occurred, he nearly killed himself or one thing – it was unbelievable – and we had been all on a gradual lap, it isn’t even like somebody was on a quick lap. So after I obtained referred to as to the stewards it was a giant shock to me as a result of I did not actually impede anybody.

“I believe additionally on a gradual lap all of us drive on our regular strains as a result of we’re all making an attempt to not choose up filth anyway, it isn’t vital when everyone seems to be driving gradual, however I do not understand how in fact they got here to that conclusion.

“It was, in fact, for me very disappointing as a result of mainly by really making an attempt to remain out of bother you place your self in bother. Additionally I believe at that time of the season in the direction of the tip of the season I do not wish to be combating with anybody on monitor that they arrive after me after qualifying ‘why did you damage my lap to start out my lap, what are you doing?'”

Verstappen vs Russell: What’s behind the needle and what subsequent?

Sky Sports activities Information Craig Slater reporting from the Abu Dhabi GP:

“It definitely has everybody speaking within the paddock.

“Max Verstappen thinks Russell has damaged an unwritten drivers’ code that there’s a level at which you cease making an attempt to get one among your fellow drivers penalised.

“However, George Russell is alleging intimidatory language from Verstappen and saying that he has to face as much as that.

“When it comes to will it go additional, Russell mentioned he wouldn’t make a criticism to the stewards. It might be a matter for the stewards to resolve upon whether or not they assume these feedback should be checked out, and if they’re true, now that they’re within the public area, do they probably convey motorsport into disrepute?

“It has been a very long time since now we have had any sort of penalty or sanction for that sort of factor. However clearly there may be historical past now between these two. There was a flashpoint in Baku final yr, and maybe the backdrop to all of it is the truth that Verstappen is being talked of as a possible Mercedes driver.

“A few of the dialogue was that perhaps it will be Russell, somewhat than Kimi Antonelli, who’s changing Lewis Hamilton, who must make approach for Verstappen, if he had been to maneuver to away from Crimson Bull to Mercedes.

“I requested Lando Norris what he considered all of this, and he was very fascinating. He mentioned, ‘Max does not lie. Max tells the reality and perhaps some folks cannot put up with the reality’.

“He added that he did not have an issue with George Russell both. He obtained on effectively with each of them.

“However there’s this real needle between these two drivers, who aren’t actually combating for a lot in championship phrases in the mean time.

“However you do marvel how issues can be if Mercedes had the automotive able to taking up Crimson Bull subsequent yr.

“Clearly, Russell feels he has to take a tough line with Verstappen – it is a tougher line than we have seen some other driver take.”

Sky Sports activities F1’s reside Abu Dhabi GP schedule

Friday December 6
5.45am: F1 Academy Observe
7am: F2 Observe
9am: Abu Dhabi GP Observe One (session begins at 9.30am)*
10.55am: F2 Qualifying
12.45pm: Abu Dhabi GP Observe Two (session begins at 1pm)*
2.30pm: F1 Academy Qualifying*
3.15pm: The F1 Present*

Saturday December 7
8.10am: F1 Academy Race One
10.15am: Abu Dhabi GP Observe Three (session begins at 10.30am)
12.10pm: F2 Dash Race
1.15pm: Abu Dhabi GP Qualifying build-up
2pm: ABU DHABI GP QUALIFYING*
4pm: F1 Academy: Race Two
5pm: Ted’s Qualifying Pocket book

Sunday December 8
7.10am: F1 Academy Race Three
9.20am: F2 Function Race
11.30am: Grand Prix Sunday: Abu Dhabi GP build-up
1pm: The ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX
3pm: Chequered Flag: Abu Dhabi GP response
4pm: Ted’s Pocket book

*additionally reside on Sky Sports activities Most important Occasion

Watch the ultimate race of the 2024 Components 1 season – the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – reside on Sky Sports activities F1, with Sunday’s race at 1pm. Get Sky Sports activities F1 or stream with NOW