Former F1 driver and now a popular F1TV pundit, Jolyon Palmer, has called for more intense rivalries in F1, pointing to the recent clash between Max Verstappen and George Russell as the kind of drama the sport needs.
Palmer highlighted the war of words between the two drivers during media day at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as one of his favorite moments of the weekend, and he’s hoping this rivalry spills over into 2025.
Palmer reflected on how F1 has become quite friendly in recent years, with drivers often seen as mates off the track. He shared his nostalgia for old-school rivalries where tensions often ran high between drivers. “I love a spicy press conference,” Palmer said during the final episode of The Cooldown Room on F1TV.
“And my word, we had a media day for the ages. George Russell coming out swinging on Thursday, I just love a rivalry. If we get those two battling next year, it’s going to be pretty incredible, isn’t it? I want all manner of rivalry, I want it spilling over,” he added.
Max Verstappen not holding back on George Russell:
“…we all respect each other a lot. I’ve been in the meeting room many times in my career”
“I’ve never seen someone trying to screw someone over that hard..and then I lost all the respect”pic.twitter.com/ad1hKTB0Yg
— Marc (@433_marc) December 1, 2024
Despite Palmer’s wishes for more drama, the four-time champion has suggested the feud might not carry over into the future. The Dutchman explained that emotions were high during the final two races but that things would likely settle now that the season was over.
However, as Palmer hinted, all it might take to reignite the rivalry is a single heated moment on the track in 2025.
Verstappen vs Russell in a nutshell
The tension between Verstappen and Russell began after the Qatar Grand Prix, where the #1 driver accused the Brit of unfair tactics in the stewards’ room. Verstappen was handed a one-place grid penalty after Russell’s comments about the incident, which demoted the Red Bull driver from pole position to second on the grid.
Feeling aggrieved, Verstappen labeled the Mercedes man “two-faced” and accused him of acting differently behind closed doors compared to his public persona. Russell had his first chance to respond during the Abu Dhabi media day.
️ « Je ne le respecte plus »
George Russell révèle les menaces qu’il a reçu de Max Verstappen et dénonce le comportement du Néerlandais pic.twitter.com/ZzavhaT2lO
— CANAL+ F1® (@CanalplusF1) December 5, 2024
The #63 driver denied any wrongdoing and claimed Verstappen had threatened him after the meeting with stewards in Qatar, even suggesting the Dutchman had been “bullying” other drivers for years. Russell questioned Verstappen’s behavior, describing him as someone who struggles to handle challenges.
The fallout didn’t stop with the drivers as team principals Toto Wolff and Christian Horner also made some stark comments on the matter. Horner called Russell’s behavior in Qatar “hysterical”, while Wolff took issue with Horner’s remarks, calling them unnecessary and disrespectful.
Wolff defended his driver, accusing Horner of always having something critical to say, even going on to call him a “yapping little terrier”.
