The end-of-the-season dinner has become a tradition in Formula 1. 2024 was no stranger to it as Lewis Hamilton organized the dinner for the entire grid on Thursday before the Abu Dhabi GP weekend. While Hamilton was the organizer, his former Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas took the check.
Bottas confirmed it on Friday while walking in the paddock to his Sauber garage. While on his way, an F1TV camera approached him and asked if he was the one who paid and how much it cost him. “I can confirm. It was my pleasure,” the Finn said.
“I think it was about 20,000 local money [UAE Dirham]. Whatever that is in Euros [€5,145=$5,400)],” he added.
It may have been an extravagant bill to pay but it also must have been one of the most awkward dinners the F1 drivers have had over the years together. That is because of the brewing tension between George Russell and Max Verstappen. The Briton did not take well to the Dutchman’s comments in Qatar and issued a scathing response on Thursday.
FIVE GRAND???? how much did these men eat god damn pic.twitter.com/1VyTaUMBhM
— amelia (@63loyal) December 6, 2024
Russell called Verstappen a “bully” who threatened to put his “head through a wall” during their altercation in the stewards’ room in Qatar. Verstappen responded by calling Russell a “backstabber” and a “loser”. The controversy snowballed further when their respective team principals got involved and resorted to name-calling.
As the drivers later headed to the dinner, Russell was the last to arrive. To alleviate tensions between the duo, the rest of the drivers left a chair vacant next to Verstappen for Russell. The Mercedes driver, reportedly, dragged that chair away and sat next to his teammate Hamilton.
Have Verstappen and Russell called a truce?
There is a good chance that the two rivals might look to settle the score at the final race of the season on Sunday. The stage is set to make that happen as Verstappen starts the Abu Dhabi GP in P5. Russell, meanwhile, is not too far away, starting from P7. With neither driver known to concede position on the track, things might get off to a spicy start at Yas Marina circuit.
Verstappen has already wrapped up a successful campaign by sealing the fourth consecutive championship win. Russell, on the other hand, is sixth in the standings, has no chance of getting to fifth, and won’t be losing his position to Hamilton, who has qualified down in 18th. With nothing to lose for both of them, Verstappen and Russell might race hard against each other.
However, the reigning world champion has hinted at putting the feud behind him. But will that happen as early as the race start in Abu Dhabi? Seems unlikely as Verstappen talked about both drivers needing to take a break, which of course, will only arrive after the season’s final race on Sunday.
