George Russell: ‘I’m not just going to wave him by because he’s Max Verstappen in a Red Bull’

The confrontation between George Russell and Max Verstappen continued into the Baku night air.

On the opening lap of Saturday’s Method One dash race, Russell and Verstappen battled in one of many first corners on the Baku Metropolis Circuit, a left-handed flip close to the beginning. Russell had the within line, and because the two drivers executed the flip, Verstappen fought on the skin to maintain place. Russell made contact with the left aspect of Verstappen’s RB19, and the defending Drivers’ champion needed to struggle arduous to keep away from colliding with the barrier.

You may see the incident from each onboard cameras on this clip from F1:

Verstappen ultimately fought again, overtaking Russell after a restart and ending forward of the Mercedes driver, in P3. However the incident was not forgotten. Shortly after the end cameras caught this change between the 2 drivers, with Verstappen nonetheless heated after the contact, which ripped a gap within the left sidepod of his RB19:

Verstappen additionally spoke concerning the incident following the race:

“Yeah, he’s excellent in explaining and creating excuses. I imply, everybody had chilly tyres, and I feel I had each proper to be on the skin. I additionally didn’t actually threat something an excessive amount of, I gave him sufficient area, you understand, as a result of I knew we had been going side-by-side. However, you understand, you want two guys to work collectively, you understand, to make the nook clearly.”

For his half, Russell didn’t again down from his place post-race, that as a result of he was on the within on the apex of the nook, he was entitled to the spot on the monitor:

“I used to be fairly shocked. I believed he was coming over to say ‘good battle’ to be sincere. You understand, from my aspect, I used to be on the within. The place was already misplaced from him, and I used to be actually fairly shocked he was nonetheless attempting to carry it on the skin. You understand, ever since we’re eight years previous in go-karting, when you’re on the within on the apex of a nook, it’s your nook. And when you attempt to maintain it on the skin, you’re taking the chance.

“You understand, I’m right here to struggle, I’m right here to win. I’m not simply going to wave him by as a result of he’s Max Verstappen in a Pink Bull … I believed the transfer was on, and that’s about it, actually.”

Not surprisingly, the staff bosses mirrored the viewpoints of their respective drivers.

“George and Max’s contact was a racing incident. One was attempting to go across the outdoors and that’s by no means going to be simple,” mentioned Mercedes Workforce Principal Toto Wolff in an announcement launched to the media, together with SBNation. “He picked up harm and that was sub-optimal for his race. It’s comprehensible that he can be upset however George was defending his place.”

After the race, Pink Bull Workforce Principal Christian Horner famous that Verstappen is an “elephant,” who won’t overlook the incident anytime quickly. “I feel he voiced his opinion to George, it’s most likely a good suggestion he left his crash helmet on!” Horner mentioned of that post-sprint chat between the 2 drivers.

“However you possibly can perceive that, he’s a aggressive driver and once you get harm to your automobile and it impacts your race, I’d be disillusioned if he was simply proud of that,” continued Horner. “He’s like an elephant, he’ll do not forget that, he’ll financial institution that for some time.”

How lengthy Verstappen holds onto the reminiscence is anybody’s guess, and the incident may linger past Baku. Whereas Verstappen is beginning in P2 on Sunday, Russell, who didn’t advance to Q3 in Friday’s qualifying periods, begins the Grand Prix in P11.