P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Christian Horner claims George Russell’s “hysterics” were responsible for landing Max Verstappen with his unusual one-place grid penalty for the Qatar Grand Prix.
Red Bull team principal, Christian Horner, downplayed Max Verstappen’s one-place grid penalty for the Qatar Grand Prix, attributing it to George Russell’s behavior at the Lusail International Circuit. Horner described Russell as “quite hysterical” over the incident and suggested gamesmanship was at play. He criticized Russell and Mercedes for exaggerating the situation, leading to an “unprecedented” penalty for Verstappen on a slow lap. Verstappen expressed his loss of respect for Russell and accused him of being two-faced after the race. Horner argued that Russell may have been driving recklessly and compared the incident to diving in football, insinuating that Russell manufactured the situation. Despite the penalty, Verstappen remained motivated to win the race, with Horner noting it only added to his drive to perform well.
