The Qatar GP weekend had a lot of drama, particularly in the second half of Sunday’s Grand Prix, when many drivers received penalties left, right, and center. However, one of the most bizarre controversies happened between George Russell and Max Verstappen — who received a one-place grid penalty — as tensions ran high after an incident during qualifying.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has weighed in on the matter, accusing Russell of behaving ‘hysterically’ throughout the weekend. He didn’t hold back when speaking about the #63 driver’s behavior. “No, look, I think the penalty was more based on hysterics from George, who has been quite hysterical this weekend,” Horner shared per Motorsport.
“But, you know, that’s unfortunately… I think there was a little bit of gamesmanship going on in that,” he added. The trouble started in Q3 when Verstappen was driving slowly on an out lap in an attempt to create a gap before starting his push lap.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has accused George Russell of being “hysterical” across the Qatar Grand Prix weekend after a falling out with Max Verstappen.
“No, look, I think the penalty was more based on hysterics from George, who has been quite hysterical this… pic.twitter.com/9vLDEEWCAL
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) December 2, 2024
Russell, however, felt the Dutchman was driving ‘dangerously slow’ and had to take sudden action to avoid a collision at Turn 12. The situation escalated when the stewards summoned both drivers for a hearing.
The recently crowned champion was ultimately penalized for “unnecessarily slow driving,” reversing the initial qualifying positions that promoted Russell to pole position. Red Bull was not happy with the decision, and Horner suggested that Russell’s complaints influenced the outcome.
Verstappen was furious at Russell in his post-race comments
After the race, Verstappen didn’t hold back his feelings about the Briton. The #1 driver said he had “lost all respect” for the Mercedes driver as he accused Russell of trying to manipulate the stewards during their hearing.
“I’ve been to the stewards many times. I’ve never seen a driver try so hard to scr*w another driver,” Verstappen said. The Dutchman also took a personal jab at Russell, accusing him of being two-faced.
He criticized the #63 driver for behaving differently in private relative to how he acts publicly, suggesting that Russell’s polite demeanor in front of the cameras does not match his behavior behind closed doors.
Max Verstappen on George Russell: ‘I lost all the respect for him. He can fuck off’
Max”I was of course very keen to get back to the front in the first corner. That was also because of how it was handled on the other side. It made no sense, the other driver (George) in the… pic.twitter.com/4DMzqxsLml
— Marc (@433_marc) December 1, 2024
“He always acts extremely polite in front of the cameras, but if you sit together with him personally, he’s a completely different person. I truly can’t stand that. Then you might as well f**k off,” Verstappen added.