Why are Max Verstappen and George Russell fighting? There’s no reason to turn Formula One into a sitcom/soapie. The drivers filled the race weekend with jabs and one-liners, instead of focusing on the task at hand… actually winning the Grand Prix.
After the Azerbaijan Sprint, world champion Verstappen called out Russell for attempting to overtake him on an inside line going through a corner, causing minor contact between the Red Bull and Mercedes. Both continued their sprint and ended P3 and P4 respectively, as the collision was no catastrophe. The issues between the two drivers started after they both got out of their cars, though, with an exchange of words caused by vastly differing opinions.
Verstappen was adamant that he merely held his line in the corner, whilst Russell was convinced his rival aggressively defended his position, even though he was on the outside line. The Dutch driver reportedly called his English rival a “dickhead” and went on to call him “Princess George” to the media. Russell’s interview addressing Verstappen’s comments wasn’t much different, explaining that he had the right to make a move in the turn and that he was “not going to wave him by because he’s Max Verstappen”, he also referred to the fact that he learned this as an “eight year[s] old in go-karting”.
The reigning F1 World Champ ended the race behind his Red Bull teammate, and the King of street circuits, Sergio Perez. Russell ended the race in eighth. Whilst Verstappen’s position was most probably jeopardised by the Safety Car, Russell’s position is more reflective of his race, and season so far. Maybe if the two concentrated on their respective races, and not each other, they could have delivered a better fight on the track.