Written by Caitlyn Gordon, Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
Following on from the Qatar fall out in 2024, George Russell admits he has ‘no intention’ of speaking to Max Verstappen.
Back in Qatar 2024, despite Verstappen securing his ninth victory of the season, the main headline from the weekend was the row between himself and Mercedes rival, Russell. The situation took place when Verstappen impeded Russell in qualifying.
The four-time world champion slowed down behind Fernando Alonso, subsequently, impacting Russell, who almost ran into the back of the Red Bull.
Following the incident, the clash came in the stewards' room, when the pair went head-to-head with Verstappen coming out of the room, stating he had ‘lost all respect’ for the Briton and being handed a one-place grid penalty.
During an extraordinary Abu Dhabi press conference, Russell shut down Verstappen’s version of events, claiming the Dutchman was a ‘bully’.
At the F1 75 event in London, Russell was asked by the BBC about the situation and if the pair would make up for the upcoming season. The 27-year-old admitted he had ‘no intention’ of speaking to Verstappen, with his driving style towards the Red Bull driver remaining unchanged for the 2025 season:
“I’ve got no intention [to], to be honest. [when asked about if he had spoken to Verstappen during the winter].
“We are not going to go back to being best mates, that's for sure. I am not going to change my approach fighting him or other drivers.
“But obviously things got out of line at the end of last year, and I made it pretty clear that I’m not going to take it. And that happened last year, it's now 2025 and I want to focus on my own goals.
“And my goal is to win this year. I'm not going to change my approach and will fight with him, as I do with all other drivers. I said enough about it last year and made it clear that I don't like what he said,”
Verstappen was later asked about Russell’s comments, with the Dutchman admitting he has no ‘intention’ of continuing the drama into the new season:
"I have no intention of continuing any type of beef in February. I'm still enjoying my time away from F1... I honestly have nothing to say on that subject."
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