Max Verstappen can be an intimidating presence, both in the paddock and on track. No one matches his aggression, and this fear alone can help him win battles. George Russell labeled him a bully last year with these things in mind, which sparked a rivalry between the two drivers.
When Russell and Verstappen clashed in Qatar in the penultimate round last year, the Mercedes driver said, “People seem to always back down to him, and that’s just not how I go about my business“.
Then, he seemingly took a dig at Lando Norris—one of Verstappen’s closest friends in F1—by saying, “I’m not there to be best mates with a world champion, I’m here to win“.
Russell did not explicitly mention Norris. But it was pretty evident. Verstappen doesn’t really have a lot of ‘mates’ in the paddock. Sky Sports’ Craig Slater too, realized the same.
“He (Russell) observed that others seemed to back down to Max and that he doesn’t want to be friends with the world champion. He wants to beat him,” Slater said. “I wonder if that was a veiled reference to a kind of a cozier or a more sympathetic relationship that Lando Norris seems to have with Verstappen“.
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It’s clear by now that Russell and Verstappen don’t get along. While they avoid altercations on a weekly basis, their verbal jabs over the years have made that evident. However, bringing Norris into the conversation—if Russell was indeed referring to him—came as a surprise.
Norris and Verstappen had their troubles in 2024. Their friendship was tested when they collided in Austria due to a mistake Verstappen admitted to, which ended Norris’ race and his chances of winning. Things got so tense that Norris admitted he could lose respect for the Red Bull driver.
However, they settled their differences pretty quickly and went back to being good friends.
Norris jokingly claimed he ‘fought’ with Verstappen
With tensions rising between Norris and Verstappen last year, the media were eager to know if they had settled their differences ahead of the new season. Both, however, responded with the most unserious answers.
Verstappen sarcastically stated that his bond with Norris had been “terrible” since last year and that they no longer got along. “We don’t get on anymore, it’s taking its toll,” the Dutchman said.
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Norris played along, adding, “We had a fight the other day in a local pub. We had to get escorted.”
All is well between Norris and Verstappen despite last year’s on-track clash that fueled rumors of their friendship ending. Russell, however, seems indifferent to such dynamics—especially when it comes to Verstappen, judging by his own words.
