F1 News: Red Bull Team Boss Steps In To Calm George Russell And Max Verstappen Dispute

Saajan Jogia | Dec 6, 2024

Jun 8, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Red Bull Racing CEO and team principal Christian Horner in the pit lane at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images / Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has advised George Russell and Max Verstappen to end their dispute by having a clear conversation behind closed doors rather than allowing it to erupt before the media. Horner claimed that the two drivers have raced each other since childhood, and they must end the matter amicably.

The Qatar Grand Prix weekend saw tensions flare between Russell and Verstappen. The dispute arose when Russell reported Verstappen for blocking him during qualifying. While neither driver was on a flying lap, the stewards determined that Verstappen had impeded Russell by occupying the racing line. As a result, Verstappen was handed a one-place grid penalty, demoting him to P2 behind Russell. The penalty sparked further conflict, with Verstappen accusing Russell of intentionally seeking to have him penalized, deepening the rift between the two drivers.

The tension intensified in Abu Dhabi after Russell alleged that Verstappen had threatened him, quoting the Red Bull driver as saying, "I will purposely go out of my way to put you on your f****** head in the wall." Adding to the drama, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff broke his silence on the matter, criticizing Horner for referring to Russell as "hysterical." Wolff called him a "yapping little terrier," to which Horner soon hit back, saying he would rather be a "terrier than a wolf."

Now though, Horner has advised both drivers to have a man-to-man conversation and talk their differences out rather than add fuel to the fire by venting their frustrations to the media. He told Sky Sports F1, as reported by RacingNews365:

“Rather than doing it through the media and through you guys or whatever, just go and have a conversation.

“Talk about it, man-to-man, face-to-face. If you have something to say, say it.

“Rather than 'he said, she said', it's far better to address it that way. They've raced each other since they were, they were kids, as many of these drivers do.

“Many situations are dealt with better on the padel court.”

Verstappen acknowledged that his relationship with Russell had soured, stating that he wasn’t in Formula 1 to make friends. Horner echoed this sentiment, expressing his belief that it’s "unnatural" to be close friends with a rival driver. He added:

“Being best mates with your competitor is a very unnatural thing.

“You're trying to beat the hell out of each other on track, there's so much at stake.

“Of course, it's competitive, but sometimes I think it's put on a false pretence that it's all chummy. It can't be like that, that's sport.”