P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Christian Horner has hit back at George Russell over the claim that Max Verstappen’s attitude inspired Red Bull personnel to seek exits to F1 rivals last season.
As 2024 came to a close, Russell and Verstappen engaged in a heated dispute over an incident in Qatar where Verstappen lost his pole position. Verstappen criticized Russell for influencing the stewards against him and stated he had “lost respect” for the Mercedes driver. Russell retaliated in Abu Dhabi, accusing Red Bull of frustration with Verstappen’s outbursts when things didn’t go his way. Horner dismissed Russell’s claims and advised him to focus on Mercedes rather than Red Bull’s affairs. McLaren CEO Zak Brown also noted an increase in CVs from Red Bull amid internal investigations into inappropriate behavior allegations against Red Bull personnel. Wolff confirmed that Mercedes had also received resumes from Red Bull employees.
