How the rivalry between Max Verstappen and George Russell turned into an F1 war

Mercedes driver George Russell has come out with some extraordinary comments that suggest newly crowned world champion Max Verstappen has threatened him with violence.

Russell and Verstappen were involved in a dispute during the Qatar Grand Prix qualifying. The Dutchman lost pole position for blocking Russell during qualifying after the pair sought the stewards to discuss the incident.

Like Verstappen, Russell was on a preparation lap, too, but he traveled faster towards the end of the lap when he reached the back of the Red Bull and then took to the curb and gravel.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

According to the Guardian, Verstappen, who was given a one-place penalty for the incident, stated he had "lost all respect" for the Mercedes driver despite winning the race after starting behind the Briton.

In a shocking new twist, Russell revealed what his Red Bull competitor allegedly said to him after meeting in the stewards' room following Qatar qualifying.

Russell told ESPN: "I find it all quite ironic seeing as Saturday night he said he was going to purposefully go out of his way to crash into me and 'put me on my f****g head in the wall.'"

"So, to question somebody's integrity as a person, while saying comments like that the day before, I find is very ironic, and I'm not going to sit here and accept it. People have been bullied by Max for years now, and you can't question his driving abilities. But he cannot deal with adversity."

"Whenever anything has gone against him, he lashes out. Budapest this year, the very first race the car wasn't dominant, crashing into Lewis [Hamilton], slamming his team ... As I said, those comments on Saturday night and Sunday were totally disrespectful and unnecessary."

Verstappen responded vigorously to Russell's attack on him and didn't mince his words about the allegations that Russell told the press.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

The four-time world champion told ESPN Netherlands: "Yes, but George is a backstabber. The way he brings up all this nonsense is that he's just a loser. He lies and cobbles things together that don't add up. I only voiced my opinion about his behavior with the stewards."

Verstappen thinks Russell has broken an unwritten driver's rule: You should never go to the stewards and ask for a fellow driver to be penalized. On the other hand, Russell is standing up for himself after Verstappen's alleged threats against him.

Red Bull Racing has taken plenty of Mercedes staff as part of Red Bull's engine project for 2026, with Verstappen linking Russell's and Mercedes' "frustration" to that. The pair have had flashpoints before, but could Russell fear losing his job?

As of the Qatar Grand Prix, George Russell has three race wins and 15 podium finishes in F1. With their star driver Lewis Hamilton joining Ferrari, Russell may not have the credentials to become the star man at Mercedes, so could they go after Verstappen?

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!