P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Accusations continue to fly between Max Verstappen and George Russell with the Formula 1 World Champion calling his Mercedes counterpart a “backstabber” over their Qatar Grand Prix penalty row.
The drama between Verstappen and Russell escalated during the Q3 top-10 shootout in Qatar, resulting in Verstappen being demoted one spot on the grid after a stewards’ hearing. Verstappen expressed a loss of respect for Russell, with Christian Horner calling Russell “hysterical” and Toto Wolff referring to him as a “yapping little terrier.” Russell claimed that Verstappen threatened to crash into him in Qatar and questioned his integrity. Verstappen denied these claims, stating that Russell is making up untrue accusations and attacking him in an unacceptable manner. Russell also referenced past controversies and claimed that Race Director Michael Masi would have been in fear had Verstappen been in Hamilton’s position in the 2021 season finale. Verstappen dismissed Russell’s criticisms, calling him a “loser” and stating that he only expressed his opinion on Russell’s behavior with the stewards. The tension between the two drivers continues to escalate as they exchange heated remarks in the media.
