George Russell hits back at Max Verstappen in major escalation of F1 row over Qatar GP grid penalty

George Russell furiously hit back at Max Verstappen after the F1 world champion's stinging criticism of him and declared that "someone needs to stand up to a bully like this".

In a major escalation of the row between two of the grid's leading drivers over fallout from Verstappen's one-place grid drop at the Qatar Grand Prix, Mercedes' Russell spoke to the media for the first time since his Red Bull rival's explosive comments about him after last Sunday's race.

Verstappen had said he had "lost all respect" for Russell and that the Mercedes driver had set out in the stewards' room to get him a penalty for impeding him at the end of qualifying on Saturday.

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Russell gave his own strong-worded response to Verstappen's claims at the season-ending Abu Dhabi GP on Thursday, alleging that the world champion had threatened to crash into him in last week's race after they had met with the stewards.

The pair had lined up first and second on the grid, with Russell inheriting pole position following Verstappen's penalty. After overtaking Russell at the start, the Red Bull driver won the race with the Mercedes driver finishing fourth.

"What he was doing was pretty clear. He was going too slow. He was on the racing line and we all had the rules to follow and he didn't follow it," said Russell to Sky Sports F1.

"I find his comments pretty ironic when he comes out and says 'I'm going to purposely crash into you, I'm going to put you on your f****** head in the wall'.

"For me that is unacceptable and he's gone beyond the line here and I'm not going to accept it.

"So somebody's got to stand up to a guy like this before it gets out of control."

Verstappen has denied the "put your head in the wall" remarks to Dutch media, a denial which Red Bull are understood to corroborate.

Red Bull declined to comment on Russell's allegations about Verstappen when approached by Sky Sports.

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Asked what further steps he would want to see taken in the matter, Russell said: "I don't want to go to the stewards' office.

"I had no intention of bringing this up. He said this to me on Saturday night and I woke up on Sunday morning feeling fine. But to come out of those press interviews saying that I'm two-faced, I'm the f-word, and this and that, he's taking this personal.

"What happens on track is professional, what happens in the stewards' is professional, and like Carlos [Sainz] said to him on Sunday morning 'you would have done the exact same thing' and on Sunday in the race he lifted for a yellow, Lando [Norris, who received a penalty which took him out of the fight for the race victory] doesn't lift for a yellow and he says to the team 'check what Lando does'.

"That's not personal against Lando, that is just racing."

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Russell also said he now, too, had lost respect for the four-time champion.

"I've known Max for 12 years. I respected him all this time but now I have lost respect for him. We are all fighting on track and it's never personal," he added.

"Now he's made it personal and someone needs to stand up to a bully like this - and so far people are letting him get away with murder."

Citing controversial on-track incidents involving the Dutchman over recent years, Russell also claimed Verstappen "cannot deal with adversity" when things do not go his way on track.

Asked during his written media briefing if he felt Verstappen was being 'enabled', Russell added: "I think he's been enabled because nobody has stood up to him. Lewis stood up to him in 2021...could you imagine the roles being reversed and Max losing that championship in the manner that Lewis lost that championship?

"Some of the recent incidents he has been punished. And he punished himself, in Mexico with the reckless overtakes, Budapest with the reckless overtakes. But it's just in the past he had such a dominant car, he's not been in this position. I think the FIA is pretty on it now, and I don't think much needs to change with its viewpoint, because he's going to punish himself one way or another."

Verstappen doubles down on Russell criticism

Speaking in the Drivers' Press Conference at the Yas Marina Circuit before Russell held his own media engagements on Thursday, Verstappen said he had not changed his mind about anything in regards to the Qatar qualifying incident and its aftermath.

"No regrets at all because I meant everything I said, and it's still the same," said Verstappen.

"If I had to do it again, maybe I would have said even more, knowing the outcome of the race result.

"I still can't believe that someone can be like that in the stewards' room. For me that was so unacceptable because, I mean we're all racing drivers, we all have a lot of respect for each other, we even play sports together, you travel together.

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"And, of course, you have moments where you get together, you crash or whatever and you're not happy. In my whole career I've never experienced what I've experienced in the stewards' room in Qatar, and for me that was really unacceptable."

Drivers have to adhere to a minimum lap time on slow laps in qualifying and, while Verstappen was found to have gone too slowly on his final Q3 warm-up lap, he said that was because he was getting out of the way of two other cars.

Like Verstappen, Russell was on a preparation lap but was travelling at a faster speed towards the end of the lap when he reached the back of the Red Bull and then took to the kerb and gravel.

"I just never expected someone to really try and actively get someone a penalty that badly and lying about why I was doing what I was doing - but clearly it had an influence to them," added Verstappen.

"It was just really not nice and actually really shocking what was going on there."

On the incident itself, Verstappen said he was "trying to be nice" by letting the two cars - Lando Norris and Fernando Alonso - pass before Russell arrived behind him.

Asked if his grid penalty could now set a precedent, Verstappen quipped: "I'm going to go flat out on my cool lap and I'm going to act like I'm going to crash with everyone!

"No, honestly, I just didn't understand. I didn't even know why I was in there. Honestly, when I was in there I was just trying to explain the story behind it. I was just trying to be nice."

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He added: "Then I see someone flying in my mirror acting like the most dangerous situation just happened, he almost killed himself or something - it was unbelievable - and we were all on a slow lap, it's not even like someone was on a fast lap. So when I got called to the stewards it was a big surprise to me because I didn't really impede anyone.

"I think also on a slow lap we all drive on our normal lines because we are all trying not to pick up dirt anyway, it's not necessary when everyone is driving slow, but I don't know how of course they came to that conclusion.

"It was, of course, for me very disappointing because basically by actually trying to stay out of trouble you put yourself in trouble. Also I think at that point of the season towards the end of the season I don't want to be fighting with anyone on track that they come after me after qualifying 'why did you ruin my lap to start my lap, what are you doing?'"

Verstappen vs Russell: What's behind the needle and what next?

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Sky Sports News Craig Slater reporting from the Abu Dhabi GP:

"It certainly has everyone talking in the paddock.

"Max Verstappen thinks Russell has broken an unwritten drivers' code that there is a point at which you stop trying to get one of your fellow drivers penalised.

"On the other hand, George Russell is alleging intimidatory language from Verstappen and saying that he has to stand up to that.

"In terms of will it go further, Russell said he would not make a complaint to the stewards. It would be a matter for the stewards to decide upon whether they think these comments need to be checked out, and if they are true, now that they are in the public domain, do they potentially bring motorsport into disrepute?

"It's been a long time since we have had any kind of penalty or sanction for that kind of thing. But clearly there is history now between these two. There was a flashpoint in Baku last year, and perhaps the backdrop to it all is the fact that Verstappen is being talked of as a potential Mercedes driver.

"Some of the dialogue was that maybe it would be Russell, rather than Kimi Antonelli, who's replacing Lewis Hamilton, who would have to make way for Verstappen, if he were to move to away from Red Bull to Mercedes.

"I asked Lando Norris what he thought about all of this, and he was very interesting. He said, 'Max doesn't lie. Max tells the truth and maybe some people can't put up with the truth'.

"He added that he didn't have a problem with George Russell either. He got on well with both of them.

"But there's this genuine needle between these two drivers, who are not really fighting for much in championship terms at the moment.

"But you do wonder how things would be if Mercedes had the car capable of taking on Red Bull next year.

"Clearly, Russell feels he has to take a hard line with Verstappen - it's a harder line than we've seen any other driver take."

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Sky Sports F1's live Abu Dhabi GP schedule

Friday December 6
5.45am: F1 Academy Practice
7am: F2 Practice
9am: Abu Dhabi GP Practice One (session starts at 9.30am)*
10.55am: F2 Qualifying
12.45pm: Abu Dhabi GP Practice Two (session starts at 1pm)*
2.30pm: F1 Academy Qualifying*
3.15pm: The F1 Show*

Saturday December 7
8.10am: F1 Academy Race One
10.15am: Abu Dhabi GP Practice Three (session starts at 10.30am)
12.10pm: F2 Sprint Race
1.15pm: Abu Dhabi GP Qualifying build-up
2pm: ABU DHABI GP QUALIFYING*
4pm: F1 Academy: Race Two
5pm: Ted's Qualifying Notebook

Sunday December 8
7.10am: F1 Academy Race Three
9.20am: F2 Feature Race
11.30am: Grand Prix Sunday: Abu Dhabi GP build-up
1pm: The ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX
3pm: Chequered Flag: Abu Dhabi GP reaction
4pm: Ted's Notebook

*also live on Sky Sports Main Event

Watch the final race of the 2024 Formula 1 season - the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - live on Sky Sports F1, with Sunday's race at 1pm. Get Sky Sports F1 or stream with NOW