Verstappen slams ‘two-faced’ Russell after Qatar win

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen followed up his Formula 1 drivers’ title with another win Sunday in an incident-packed Qatar Grand Prix as Lando Norris was hit with a penalty that ended his challenge for the race victory.

Australia’s Oscar Piastri – Norris’ teammate – came third in the race behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

Max Verstappen leads Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc during the Qatar Grand Prix.Credit: Getty Images

But the action continued off the track when Verstappen took aim at George Russell, describing him as “two-faced” and saying he had “lost all respect” for the Mercedes driver.

Verstappen had been stripped of pole position and sent back one place on the grid for driving “unnecessarily slowly” in front of Russell when they were both on a slow lap. That allowed Russell to start on pole, prompting Verstappen to accuse the Briton of “trying hard to screw him over” in the stewards’ room.

“You know what it is,” Verstappen said after the race. “He [Russell] is always polite in front of the cameras, but in person he is completely different. I can’t stand that. Then it’s better to just f--- off. I don’t want anything to do with him.

“I couldn’t believe that I got [the penalty]. I think that’s the first time that in a slow lap someone has been penalised. Actually, I just tried to be nice, so maybe I shouldn’t be nice. I didn’t want to screw anyone over to prepare their lap. And by doing that, being nice, basically you get a penalty.

“It was honestly very disappointing, because I think all of us here, we respect each other a lot. I’ve been in that meeting room many times in my life and my career with people that I’ve raced. And I’ve never seen someone trying to screw someone over that hard. For me, I lost all respect.”

The London Telegraph reported that Verstappen and Russell appeared to exchange words before the race, during the drivers’ parade. The newspaper’s report said: “Reports from inside the paddock claimed Verstappen had told his Mercedes rival: ‘I hope you and your FIA f--- buddies are happy’.”

A race full of drama

In a season of controversy over the rules and upheaval at the governing body, the stewards played a crucial role in the race itself. Norris had been chasing down Verstappen for the lead before his penalty. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said Norris hadn’t slowed down but argued the penalty was disproportionately harsh.

“It’s definitely material that the FIA should consider very seriously if we want fairness to be part of going racing in Formula 1,” Stella said.

“To me, it looks like somewhere there must be a book with a lot of dust on the cover that was taken out. ‘Let me see what it says, I apply this.’ Seems a little too simplistic.”

Verstappen got his revenge on Russell off the line in the race.

Verstappen got alongside Russell to take the inside line into the first corner, then fended off a challenge from Norris into the next turn.

The race was full of drama as the safety car came out three times and Norris was dropped to the back of the field with a penalty for failing to slow under yellow warning flags.

Max Verstappen with his sister Victoria Verstappen and mother Sophie Kumpen in Qatar.Credit: Getty Images

Verstappen, who secured his fourth consecutive title in Las Vegas last week, has won two of the last three races but hadn’t won in dry conditions since June.

“It was a lot of fun out there,” Verstappen said. “Very happy. It’s been a while in the dry to be this competitive. Very proud of everyone within the team.”

At one stage, it looked like McLaren could seal its first constructors’ title since 1998 in Qatar as Norris and Piastri both eyed podium places.

After Norris’ penalty, Ferrari cut McLaren’s lead from 30 points to 21 with Leclerc’s second place and a solid sixth for Carlos Sainz Jr after a puncture seemed to have wrecked his race. The constructors’ title will now be decided at the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi next week.

That’s a boost to Ferrari’s morale.

Verstappen has returned to his winning ways late in the season.Credit: Getty Images

“We knew it was going to be a very difficult weekend compared to the McLaren, but we even managed to take some points away from them, so the fight will be all the way to the last race in Abu Dhabi next week,” Leclerc said.

“It’s going to be an exciting end to the year. Hopefully we can be strong, but it’s going to take everything we’ve got to seal the deal,” Piastri said.

Russell was fourth, ahead of Pierre Gasly continuing Alpine’s recent good form, with Sainz sixth and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso seventh.

Zhou Guanyu picked up his and Sauber’s first points in eighth, ahead of Kevin Magnussen for Haas in ninth and Norris 10th after having been dropped to 15th by the penalty.

AP

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